Falling Through Life
by SloaneRisette
Summary: Chloe was a bit busy toking up before seeing Nathan Prescott in the bathroom, and Victoria just happened to need to touch up her makeup right after class. An AU version of Life is Strange, focusing on Max herself, hopefully in-depth, as well as a look at what it would be like if Max and Victoria ended up as friends. Chasefield/Pricefield
1. An Unexpected Visitor

**This is my first chapter of this fic, and my first fanfiction I've written in a long time! I've become absolutely enamored with Life is Strange, and since I can't draw, I figure I can try and write some fanfiction that I've had ideas for recently. I don't own Life is Strange or any of the characters- and I hope you all enjoy! Would love to hear any and all feedback you have!**

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Going to a school like Blackwell Academy had been a dream for Max Caulfield for a long time. She loved photography, she definitely planned on being a famous photographer someday, and this would give her the chance she need to help make it to the big-time soon. Plus Mark Jefferson was teaching there! He was one of her recent idols in the photography world, and to learn from him? That was like a dream come true. It didn't take a ton of convincing for her parents to let her go, it was back in her hometown of Arcadia Bay, and it was a nice school but she managed to even get a scholarship to attend! What wasn't there to like about this place?

That was back in August. It was now early October, and day by day, Max had felt like going to Blackwell was some big mistake. Asides from Kate Marsh and occasionally talking to Alyssa and Dana, she really didn't have many friends or people to talk to. They were all back in Seattle, along with her parents. She had to deal with bullies like Victoria Chase, a bunch of asshole jock-bros, and her classes weren't anything like she had dreamed of. There were times when her classes weren't anywhere as magical she hoped they would be.

It was probably similar to how Harry Potter must have felt when he got to Hogwarts and realized that while, yeah, there was plenty of magic, it wasn't always the fun kind. Sure, sitting in Mark— Mr. Jefferson's class was a fantastic experience, but it was in a classroom with Victoria Chase who was always all over him— and all over trashing her.

Max had decided to just close her eyes, just for a second. No one would notice. But when she DID close her eyes, it was… unreal.

She was by the lighthouse by the coast in Arcadia Bay, the one that was higher up just past the woods. But… the entire area was unreal. It was the biggest storm Max had ever seen. Ever. She ran up the trail as fast as she could. She was in class just a minute ago, and now she was… here? What she saw when she reached the top of the hill where the lighthouse was… she couldn't believe.

A tornado? Not just a tornado, but a giant tornado that you'd see in some kind of apocalypse movie? What the hell was going on!?

"No! No! It's… it's headed straight for the town! What's happening!?" Max screamed at the tornado, knowing it was futile, before she…

…Woke up?

Was she back in Mr. Jefferson's class? Victoria's phone had gone off, and Taylor had thrown a crumpled up piece of paper at Kate Marsh… what was going on? Seriously? Being so close to that tornado, she could feel the electricity in the air, she could feel the wind and the rain hitting her face. How could that not have been real?

" _It's ok Max… it's ok, you're back in class. You must have just been dreaming,"_ she thought, though she had no clue if she was even convincing herself of that fact. It just felt so damn real. She was having trouble even just taking her mind off all of it, and she couldn't keep herself focused on what Mr. Jefferson was saying. Though Max knew one thing that always tended to help her feel better, and even if this wouldn't help her feel better, at least it would keep her distracted.

A good selfie.

She scanned the classroom quickly before pulling her camera out of her messenger bag— old faithful. She looked down at it, having had it hidden in her lap just under the table, and offered a small smile for the camera. As soon as the flash went off, she was caught.

"And Max has just taken what you all call, a 'selfie'. A ridiculous name for a wonderful art form of self-expression," Mr. Jefferson rattled off, and Max could feel herself turning bright red. She stared down at her lap for the rest of the class, she couldn't even bear to listen to Mr. Jefferson at this point, she was embarrassed beyond belief.

The bell rang for classes to end for the day and Max just wanted to go… somewhere, anywhere else than right now. Between her dream and getting embarrassed in class by Mr. Jefferson, she wouldn't mind just going back to her dorm room for the day and just sleeping it all off. Though as she started to leave, she was stopped by none other than Mr. Jefferson himself. Max let out a small sigh to herself… she should have expected it.

"Max… I haven't gotten your entry yet for the Everyday Heroes competition. I'm still waiting," he told her, had she could feel herself nearly sweating under his watchful gaze.

"Oh, sorry about that Mr. Jefferson, I'm still, uh, still thinking about what to submit for it. I'll have it to you this week, I promise," she assured him. Though really, she wasn't sure what she would be doing or when she'd send it in, if she would at all. Part of her kept thinking that she just wouldn't submit anything for it, Victoria was going to win, anyways…

"Yes Max, we'd _love_ to see what you have in store for us all," Victoria said, a sly grin creeping on her face that Max just wanted to punch. At least if she was the type to punch someone in the face

If it was any consolation, though right now it barely was, Mr. Jefferson seemed to narrow his eyes at Victoria, and she stopped right away.

"Um, well… I'll get on that and I'll get it to you soon. Promise," she mumbled before walking out of the classroom, mumbling her discontent under her breath over how close Victoria Chase and Mr. Jefferson were. If she could have it her way, she'd want to be the prodigy that Mr. Jefferson would want to help mold into a professional.

As soon as she was outside of the class, she put her earbuds in her ears and turned on some music to walk down the halls to. It was always a silent walk, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about anyone talking to her or something. Her earbuds would make sure of that. The only people that would have talked to her in the first place were Kate Marsh and Warren Graham, and Kate left after class right away. She had no clue about where Warren was or what he was up to. Probably in the science lab, and right now, that was fine with Max. She just wanted to go and wash her face off in peace after everything that had transpired since her photography class. At least now she'd have a chance at some peace and quiet…

She passed by David Madsen, Blackwell's resident rent-a-cop, bothering some of the football jock-bros about something, she couldn't even hear what it was, as she headed into the bathroom. She let out a sigh as she walked over to the sink, washing her face off before angrily crumpling up the paper towel and throwing it into the trash as hard as possible.

"I'll never measure up to Victoria… What's even the point of submitting anything when Victoria is just going to win anyways?" she asked herself, ripping up the picture she had taken on Saturday night: A low lighting shot of her facing her wall of pictures. She tore it up, straight down the middle, before dropping it on the floor. That was that, now she had no picture, no inspiration, and no excuse when Mr. Jefferson would undoubtedly ask her where her submission was tomorrow.

A flash of blue in the corner of Max's eye caught her attention, and she turned to see a butterfly coming in through the bathroom window, fluttering around for a bit before landing on a mop bucket in the corner of the restroom.

"It's not much, but… it'll be something to turn in, and this looks like it could even be a nice shot…" she mumbled to herself, silently and slowly pulling out her camera and lining up the perfect shot and then snapping it, which quickly caused the butterfly to flutter off just as soon as it had landed. Max stuck the newly taken, newly shaken photo and her camera in her backpack, going to leave the bathroom, before the door burst open.

"Don't let that fucking bitch rile you up, Nathan," the voice said. Max peered from behind the side of the stall, seeing Nathan Prescott, probably the richest kid at Blackwell, pacing in the bathroom— the girl's bathroom.

"You're the man. You're the fucking man. You own this school! You could crush it into the pile of dirt that it is if you wanted," he said. His voice sounded… Max wasn't sure, but something was _really_ off about Nathan right now. She didn't know him, and she never really cared to know him, but hearing this affirmed her thoughts to stay FAR away from him.

She had no ability to get out, and she peeked around the corner again, seeing Nathan now staring in the mirror, gripping the sink, knuckles white, as the door started to come in.

Victoria!?

"Um, Nathan, do you mind telling me what the hell you're doing in here? This _is_ the woman's restroom," she sneered at him, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on one leg.

It took Nathan a bit of time to react to what she was saying. It was almost like he couldn't focus on her. Though just as Max thought that, he turned around to face her, hands clenched into fists.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here Victoria?" he asked, even more venom in his voice than just a few minutes prior.

"Um, well, like I said, this is the woman's restroom and I'm here to touch up my makeup, so if you'd kindly get the hell out— you're not even supposed to be here," she told him, shooing him off with her hand.

"Get out, I'm meeting someone in here and I need you out," he told her, though Victoria wasn't budging.

Maxine was sure she was out of sight of the two of them, and she didn't expect what she saw next. Nathan pulled out a gun? Where the hell did he get that? Why did he have a gun? Weren't Victoria and Nathan friends? Why was he pulling a fucking gun on her? Who was he meeting in there?

"What the hell do you think you're doing with that Nathan? Where the fuck did you get that?" she asked, now actually visibly shaken. This was the first time Max had ever seen Victoria shaken or nervous, and she had a fucking gun pointed at her!

"No one tells me what to do, not even you Victoria," he said, stepping forward, causing Victoria to be backed up right next to the paper towel dispenser.

"If you shoot me— you can't shoot me— you can't get away with it Nathan. Just put that gun the fuck down," she said, sounding as if she was almost on the verge of tears.

"I don't give a fuck. My dad is the most powerful man in this shithole little town, I can do whatever I want. And you're getting in my way and pissing me the fuck off," he told her, sounding so sure, so smug in his words. Like he was invincible.

Victoria glanced from side to side, and there was even just a tiny bit of sweat forming on her forehead. Max wanted to do something, but she was frozen stiff. What was she supposed to do? Run in, try and distract Nathan Prescott, get shot, and then Victoria would probably get shot too?

Her eyes widened as she noticed Victoria start to shift towards the door, before attempting to make a run for it though. She couldn't do anything though.

A loud, very loud bang went off, and Max's eyes widened even more— if that were somehow possible— as red started to form over Victoria's stomach… Nathan Prescott just shot Victoria Chase.

"Victoria!" Max screamed as she bolted from around the corner, reaching out her hand as if that would somehow save Victoria Chase from being shot in the fucking stomach by Nathan Prescott.

Nathan didn't seem to notice Max, it must have been some sort of adrenaline rush he was going through where he couldn't even hear anything.

Victoria though, she was slowly sliding down the wall, clutching her stomach, her blouse now soaked with blood. She saw Max, and reached out her other hand towards her.

"Max…" she said weakly before collapsing to the floor.

"No!"


	2. With Great Power Comes Great

**Ok, so as this is canon divergence, not all choices will be covered. And gosh, I love writing these characters, even if I'm not diverting a ton from the main game yet. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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As Max Caulfield reached out for Victoria Chase, in a futile attempt to try and save her life after she had been shot, something felt… off. Like things were getting slower. Was this some sort of intense adrenaline?

Wait, what was happening? Was she hallucinating? She could have sworn she was seeing things back up…?

What was she doing in Mr. Jefferson's class again? Was all of this a dream? No…

Taylor threw the crumpled paper ball at Kate— again.

Victoria's phone buzzed with a text message— again.

She couldn't be dreaming, no. Was she… back in time?

 _"Holy shit, Max. Did you just rewind time? How could that even happen? Maybe if I just… just try it again I can know for sure,"_ she thought to herself, before moving her hand forward just a bit, just like when she reached out for Victoria in the bathroom. And before her very eyes she saw things quickly reverse, and her jaw dropped.

As soon as she put her arm down, she saw the same two events happen: Taylor throwing the paper ball, and Victoria's phone vibrating.

Holy shit, she just rewound time! She really did! Now she could warn Victoria and she would be able to live. Max had to stop herself from actually screaming in a mix of sheer confusion and excitement over her powers, but bit her lip to prevent herself from doing that and freaking everyone out— and then promptly being laughed at.

There was one more test though. She pulled her camera just below her desk and took another selfie, just like before. And just like clockwork, Mr. Jefferson launched into his tirade about "selfie-expression", and Victoria got that daguerreotypes question right again. Max, however, was so through the roof with her newfound powers, that that didn't even matter to her right now.

She could actually save a life— as corny as it sounded, she could be a _real_ everyday hero!

Maxine waited impatiently for class to be dismissed, and as soon as the bell rang, she quickly packed up her stuff and started to head to the door. She'd figure out some way to stop Nathan from shooting Victoria. Even if they weren't friends, she wasn't going to let her die! She wasn't some sort of monster.

Max was originally going to head towards the door— before realizing that, like last time, there was a pretty good chance that Mr. Jefferson was going to pull her aside, and opted to head over to him and Victoria.

Even seeing Victoria now, alive, not bleeding, not clutching her stomach, and her usual rude self was a bit of a shock. Max half wanted to touch her to make sure she was really alive and this wasn't all some incredibly bizarre, really long dream. Though she knew if she did that, Victoria wouldn't exactly be too happy, and that would probably just make making sure that Victoria wouldn't get killed tougher than she figured it already would be. Mr. Jefferson, however, was definitely ready to talk to Max about the Everyday Heroes contest.

"Ah, Max, you know I still haven't—" he started, but Max was on the ball. She messed up before, she wouldn't again.

"Gotten an entry from me for the Everyday Heroes contest… I know. I'm sorry Mr. Jefferson," she started, offering him a small smile. "I'll get it to you this week, hopefully tomorrow. I have some really great ideas so I'm going to try and work on them today," she assured him— though honestly, a lot of it was just talk.

"Oh, well, I'm excited to see your work, Max. Get it to me soon," he said to her, a bit thrown off, but giving a confident smile.

 _"I'm already changing things for the better— now I just need to save Victoria,"_ she thought to herself, with Victoria opting to chime in, as if right on cue somehow.

"Yes Max, we'd _love_ to see what you have in store for us all," Victoria said, that same sly grin creeping onto her face as earlier.

"Thanks, Victoria. I hope you like it," Max said simply, still smiling, before starting to leave. Victoria was now bright red, flustered and angry that she was one-upped by Maxine Caulfield— for Victoria, that would be the last time that would happen.

When Max left the classroom, she took a deep breath, before she started to walk over to her locker. She felt like she wanted to collapse and fall down and huddle up into her knees or something. What was happening? She could reverse time? What else would she be able to do? This wasn't a one time thing or anything… was it? As much as she wanted to keep thinking on this, Victoria came out of the class, strutting down the hallway as if she was on some high fashion show runway.

As soon as Victoria got near, Max moved in front of her, and Victoria stopped, abruptly, surprised that someone like Max Caulfield would just stand in front of her and stop her in her tracks like that. She put a hand on her hip and leaned her weight on one leg.

"And just what do you want, hipster?" she asked, and Max already felt intimidated. She knew that what she was doing was right, but even just being put in this situation felt like a bad idea.

"I was just, uh, letting you know that the bathroom in this building is uh, it's out of order, so you'll probably have to head to the girl's dorms," she stuttered and stammered to the blond. This was a bad idea. This was a really bad idea.

"Um, what? Are you even speaking words right now? What's wrong with you?" she snapped, and Max instinctively shut her eyes and took a step back, as if being afraid of getting hit or something.

"I— I just— I don't think you should—" Max stuttered out. What was she supposed to say, 'You're about to be shot in the bathroom by an incredibly angry Nathan Prescott, please don't go, I don't want to witness you die a second time,'? She would be put away forever!

"Look, just shut the hell up and get the hell out of my way, I need to fix my makeup," Victoria said, just about pushing Max out of the way as she stomped down the hall in her flats. Max was now a bright red— that didn't go the way she needed it to! What was she going to— wait, she could fix this!

As Victoria stomped on down, Max bit her lip, holding up her hand again, watching as Victoria quickly sped back to where she was, watching her snap at Max where she was, and then back into Mr. Jefferson's class. It worked again… this would give her the time she needed to be able to get in the bathroom and figure out what to do to save her life.

She walked fast— she didn't want to run— she knew she'd be stopped and it would just probably set off all sorts of red flags to everyone around. She entered the bathroom and looked around. There was no Nathan yet, perfect.

"Ok, so if I do what I did before… that should guarantee that everything happens like it did before," she said to herself. First she washed her face off and threw the paper towel in the trash. Next, she ripped up her picture— right down the middle— and let it fall to the ground.

"Any second now… perfect," she mumbled to herself as she watched that same blue butterfly flutter into the bathroom. She followed it with the same quiet steps as before and took a picture of it when it landed on the mop bucket. It flew away shortly after max stuck her camera and the picture in her messenger bag, and she hid behind the stall, like before, mind now racing as she knew what had the potential to happen in just a few minutes— what had the potential to happen a million times over unless she figured out what to do.

Nathan came stomping in, just like before— or like now— whichever it was, this time travel stuff was proving to be confusing very quickly.

"Don't let that fucking bitch rile you up, Nathan," he told himself, once again, gripping the sink hard enough for his knuckles to be white.

"You're the man. You're the fucking man. You own this school! You could crush it into the pile of dirt that it is if you wanted," he said. This was getting too surreal, how was this happening? And when would Victoria get in so Max could figure out what to do and save her?

"Um, Nathan, do you mind telling me what the hell you're doing in here? This _is_ the woman's restroom," came Victoria's sneer, and as Max peered around the stall, she could see that Queen Victoria had indeed come into the bathroom again. Now she just needed to figure out something to do, quick. She looked around in the small area she was, there had to be something she could do to get Nathan out of there or something.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here Victoria?"

Max was looking around, what to do, what to do? It suddenly dawned on her as she turned around to look at the wall— the fire alarm!

"Um, well, like I said, this is the woman's restroom and I'm here to touch up my makeup, so if you'd kindly get the hell out— you're not even supposed to be here."

Max quickly went to the wall and lightly pounded her fist against it. Glass. Of course there was glass blocking it. She had to break it. But that little emergency hammer to break the glass wasn't there. Where the hell was it!?

"Get out, I'm meeting someone in here and I need you out."

Quickly falling onto her hands and knees, Max looked under the cart full of tools and cleaning supplies. There it was! She reached under the cart and grabbed the hammer, then pushed herself up. She'd be able to save Victoria— she'd be able to save her!

"What the hell do you think you're doing with that Nathan? Where the fuck did you get that?"

She smashed the glass, which luckily couldn't be heard over the two of them, and hit the fire alarm as hard as she could. The alarm went off without a hitch, starting to blare. She peered around the corner again, she'd have to wait for them to leave.

Nathan pocketed his gun and backed away from Victoria, headed for the door.

"Don't fuck with me again like this, Chase," he said threateningly before leaving the restroom— as if him leaving the girl's room was no big deal. Max focused on Victoria, and for a second, Max couldn't tell whether or not Victoria saw her— shit! She ducked back behind the stall and closed her eyes, shit, what if Victoria saw her?

A few seconds later, Max looked back around the corner and Victoria was gone. The alarm was still going off, so Max figured she'd have to leave now too, unless she wanted to get in any trouble.

When she left, of course it was none other than rent-a-cop Madsen stomping on over to interrogate her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in the bathroom? Don't you hear the fire alarm going off?" he asked, towering over her, and Max couldn't help but feel nervous. He was just a security guard, not a cop. What was his deal, anyways?

"I just— I just wasn't feeling that well after class and I really had to go to the bathroom, I'm sorry—" she tried to explain.

"Look, the alarm is going off so you need to get outside right now," he said, tone angrier than before. But luckily for Max, Principal Wells started to walk over. He must have seen all the heat he was given her and decided to help her out.

"That's enough, Mr. Madsen. Now, go make sure everyone is out of the building and get the alarm off, Max here will head outside right now," he told the security officer. David Madsen looked at him and gave a quiet nod before walking off. Max started to head to leave the building… when she was stopped. Of course.

"Now now, hold it Miss Caulfield," he told her, and Max stopped and slowly turned around, walking in front of him.

"Yes, sir?" she asked. She was starting to get nervous. First he had Madsen leave, and now he was calling her over? Did she do something wrong and didn't know it?

"Are you ok? You're sweating pinballs. I just want to know if you're ok, and if you need, you can tell me what's wrong," he assured her.

Could she really tell him? Could she tell the principal that Nathan fucking Prescott had a gun held at Victoria Chase? He wouldn't believe her! But she needed to tell him. She had to. On the off chance that, somehow he did believe her, he had to know. It was Nathan Prescott super angry with a gun! A loaded gun! How could she not tell someone about that?

"Actually, I was just in the bathroom, l-like you know, and Nathan Prescott had a gun. He had a gun pointed at Victoria Chase," she admitted, letting out a large breath. Principal Wells, however, was taken aback by what she had to say.

"Nathan Prescott? A gun? Victoria Chase?" he asked, and Max quickly nodded.

"Yeah. I know it's a lot to take in, but it's true," Max insisted. He had to believe her, he just had to, who wouldn't believe that?

"That's… that's a very tall tale, Miss Caulfield. Nathan Prescott is a star student here at Blackwell, and he and Miss Chase are very good friends. Now, I just don't see him doing something like that," he told her, shaking his head. Shit. Now she was the one in hot water, not him.

"I— I know I haven't been here long, sir, but you have to believe me. I wouldn't make up something like this. I wouldn't. I know how serious this is," she told him. How could he not believe her!?

"I know this is serious, Miss Caulfield. Which is why I will examine what you just said, talk to Mister Prescott, and see where to go from there," he told her, before walking to his office.

 _"Great, now I'll be on Principal Wells's radar, and what if he doesn't believe me but Nathan wants to shoot someone? I could— I could always use my powers but— no! I can't! At least now Principal Wells has an inkling that something could be up with Nathan. If I don't tell him, then he'd have no clue and something **really** bad could happen,"_ she thought, letting out a sigh before heading out of the building.

It was nice that the weather was nice, but Max would be hard-pressed to say that the day was nice after everything that had happened. Classes were done for the day, and even if they weren't, the fire alarm that she pulled would have had everyone out at the front of the school anyways. Just about everyone from her classes were around, but honestly? Max just wanted to go back to her room and fall asleep.

…Well, she wanted to. But one Warren Graham— Max's nerdy but somewhat lovable (ok, maybe more just likable) friend had sent her a text. After feeling her phone vibrate she pulled it out of her pocket.

 _Hey Mad Max! When are we gonna hang out?_

 _Oh, by the way, I really need my flash drive back for school stuff, any chance you can get that for me? I hope you liked the movies on it!_

She let out a small sigh. Now she had to run and get Warren's flash drive for him? Not that she had a problem giving him back the flash drive, just that she had to do it right now. She had just seen someone get shot and managed to go back in time to save them! She wasn't sure if anyone else in the world had managed to do that, but she figured that anyone else in that situation would probably just want to knock out for a few days.

 _Yeah, I liked the stuff on it. I'll get it to you as soon as I can Warren._

Max started to head over to the girl's dormitories. There went that twenty four hour nap as soon as she reached her room.

 _Awesome! Thanks Max! I'll be at the parking lot, I have something really cool to show you when you get here_

As curious as Max was about whatever it was Warren had in store, she knew it could wait, at least a bit. Well, she probably couldn't make him wait too long, but she wasn't going to rush down to her dorm room. She was exhausted, and partly felt like she could barely lift her legs. She barely wanted to after what she saw— she was pretty sure they were still jelly.

One of the nicest things about Arcadia Bay was how beautiful it was, and the Blackwell campus was certainly no exception. It was just turning to be Fall and everything was so lovely and perfect— she'd have to snap some fantastic pics later. Though as soon as she rounded the corner to see the entrance of the girl's dorms— Max was none too happy.

Courtney, Taylor, and Victoria. All three of them just sitting on the steps. Probably gossiping and talking shit about her and Kate Marsh. Ugh.

"I don't need to deal with this right now… it's been a long day," Max mumbled to herself before taking a deep breath. Sooner or later, whether Warren needed his flash drive or not, she had to get into her room. Might as well just face the music now. As Max stepped up to the steps, the three girls all looked up at her.

"Oh hey, it's Blackwell's selfie ho," Taylor said, inciting laughter between Courtney and Taylor. However, and while Max was able to (mostly) shrug off that insult, Victoria's eyes narrowed at her had her just about sweating. Why was she staring at her? Did— did Victoria know about what she did? No, that was impossible. There was no way Victoria could know— how would Victoria know Max could rewind time? That was impossible. Victoria was just giving her an intimidating stare down like usual.

"Um, hey… can I just— can I just get to my room, please?" Max asked quietly. She didn't want to make a big fuss out of things and start any arguments. She just wanted to get in, get the flash drive, drop it off, and fall asleep.

"As if—" Courtney started, but an "Ahem" from Victoria quieted both girls quickly, who turned their attention to their queen bee, confused at what she just did.

"You're… not worth our time, Maxine, just go through. But don't get any of your dirt on our clothes," she said, and as tempted as Max was to rub her shoe all over that nice sweater of hers a few times over, she figured that Victoria probably dealt with enough shit today to last for a whole week or two.

"T-Thanks," Max stuttered out, carefully stepping over the group of three, and then headed into the dorms, hearing Courtney and Taylor continue talking again as if nothing happened. What a relief… and that was far, far easier than she ever imagined it would have been. Normally Victoria would have put her through the wringer, but for whatever reason, not today. Hell, even earlier she had been sassing her!

It didn't matter now, though. Now she'd be able to head to her dorm in peace and get that flash drive for Warren. She walked down the hall, putting her hand up to her head, she felt like she had a headache… though that was probably just from how exhausting today was, and how loud that alarm was.

And then out of nowhere…

 _Bzzt_

 _Bzzt_

A text message? Probably just Warren asking where she was for the fifth time. She plucked her phone out of her pocket and opened it up.

 _Come to my room at 11 tonight and tell no one you're coming. We have to talk._

Oh God, what was happening? Who was this?

It took Max a second to read who it was from and her eyes widened and jaw dropped.

Victoria.


	3. Welcome Home

**I've felt nervous about this chapter but I'm also definitely happy about it. It was really fun writing all the dialogue and starting to branch out into more and more characters! It's very dialogue heavy, but I hope you all enjoy it. As always, let me know what you think and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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Victoria!? What could Victoria possibly want with her? Did she want to beat her up? Or ridicule her on camera late at night? She didn't even want to think about it— though it stuck in her mind. As long as Max had been at Blackwell so far, Victoria had done nothing but shit all over her, even on move-in day. ESPECIALLY move-in day! From her clothes down to all of her posters and photos she was bringing in, Victoria Chase had made it a concentrated effort to make Max's new life at Blackwell hell. She had to be scheming something. Although she didn't really knew Victoria Chase, she knew what she was all about, making girls like her and Kate Marsh suffer.

…She had to go though, there was no doubt about it. At best, maybe Victoria wouldn't even make her life hell. Maybe she would just… ok, Max had no clue what Victoria had in store in the best. Worst case though, Max would probably die, or get the shit beaten out of her. Even though Victoria seemed like a total priss, Max had no doubt that the girl could win in a fight if she had to. And plus, Max had the power to rewind time now! If something bad happened, as long as she didn't die, she could just turn back time and know what to do— whether or not she would go again.

…Why did Max have to put the idea of death by Victoria Chase in her head now?

" _Concentrate, Max! Snap out of it!"_ she thought to herself, shaking her head as she went over to her laptop, the last place that housed Warren's flash drive. She walked over, albeit a bit slowly, she _was_ still shaken by that text she had just gotten. What would have been worse, that text from Victoria, or that same text from Warren?

…

Max shook her head, and as soon as she saw that the flash drive wasn't there, let out a loud sigh. Of course it wasn't there. What was where it should have been was a bright pink sticky note.

 _Hey Maxine, needed some movies to watch while studying. Hope you don't mind. xoxo Dana_

Of course this little fetch quest couldn't have been this easy. Somehow it didn't seem surprising. And who studied while watching movies anyways?

Ok, Max knew she couldn't be critical, she had done that at least a dozen times since getting a laptop. And Dana was nice, in any other situation it wouldn't be any trouble to let the girl use the flash drive, but she needed it so she could give it to Warren and rest and prepare for what was a looming, terrifying meeting with Victoria. Well, back into the halls it was before, to head into Dana's dorm room so she could get back hers— Warren's flash drive.

It was another slow, almost shaky walk as she headed down to Dana's dorm. She didn't feel that great, but she knew it was all nerves. Victoria had a way of messing with people like that— get in their mind and tear them down. Of course, Victoria could tear anyone down with ease, no matter what, it must have been the girl's specialty or something. Maybe that was how she got into Blackwell.

Max stopped outside Dana's dorm to see Juliet Watson— one of the other girls at Blackwell— though one Max wasn't particularly close to or knew that well. She did seem nice though, but that look she had on her face didn't seem that nice.

"Juliet! Let me out! Please!" she heard Dana call through the door, pounding on it. Max couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow.

"Hey Juliet… what's going on?" she asked, stepping over in front of Juliet, who seemed intent on not letting Dana out for whatever reason.

"Oh, hey Max. I'm not letting Dana out of her room because she's a backstabbing bitch," Juliet said, clearly upset.

"What happened? What did Dana do?" Max asked. Sure, she didn't know Dana super well, but every time she talked with her, she had always been nice. Being a 'backstabbing bitch' seemed like the last thing that Dana was.

"Why do you even care Max?" Juliet asked, now folding her arms, glaring at the brunette.

"Well— Well I just figured that if she upset you then something must have happened and—" she started, stumbling over her words. She didn't know what to say without sounding like a jerk with "I just need to get into Dana's room to get Warren's flash drive", that would have gone over awfully.

"Do you even know my last name Max?" Juliet asked simply.

Max was taken aback by the question, surprised by how it had come out of nowhere and the question itself.

"What?"

"You heard me, do you even know my last name? You say you care about this but I bet you don't even know my last name," Juliet accused, and Max turned red, feeling as if she was on the defensive and rather hurt by this situation.

"Of course I do. It's Watson. Juliet Watson," she said, and Juliet's eyes widened.

"Oh, I didn't know you knew. I just always assumed that since you're always out of the way and quiet you just… you just never knew it. I'm sorry Max," she said, letting out a sigh.

"It's fine, really. So, uh, can I ask what happened with Dana?" Max asked, now actually more than a bit curious.

"She was sexting with Zach, my boyfriend. She doesn't want to admit it, so I'm keeping her in there until she does," she said adamantly.

"Really? Dana's your friend— your best friend. Would she really do that to you?" Max asked. It seemed so unlike Dana. They were always talking and always nice to each other, why would Dana betray her best friend like that?

"Max, you have to believe me, I didn't do it!" Dana called from inside her room. "It's all Victoria's fault! You can check her room, I'm sure there's something in there that shows she did it!" she added.

Victoria? Really? Of course, this all had to circle back to Victoria Chase. Max had trouble even being surprised by that fact at this point. What evil, twisted thing didn't she orchestrate at Blackwell at this point?

"Ok, I'll be right back Dana! Just… sit tight…" Max called out, biting her lip. God, that wasn't the smartest thing to say to a girl locked in her own room. She quickly ran over to Victoria's room, her mind racing. Was she _really_ about to break into the room of the most popular, most powerful girl at Blackwell?

…Yes.

Luckily, Victoria, Courtney, and Taylor were all nowhere to be found. Probably all still sitting on the steps. And this meant that she would at least have some time to snoop through Victoria Chase's room. She walked up to the room warily, noted by the whiteboard next to the door that had a Gandhi quote written on it.

" _She gives me a ton of shit for being a hipster… but at least I don't pretend to be all deep,"_ she thought, shaking her head. She tried the doorknob and… it actually turned? Why would she leave her room unlocked?

Was this all some trap?

No, no no no, no there was no way. Victoria Chase was evil and had money, but there was no way her room was booby-trapped.

…

Either way, as much as Max didn't want to believe that Victoria's room was dangerous, she walked in slowly, letting out a small sigh of relief when it became apparent that her room wasn't dangerous, but rather normal (at least, as normal as a room could be for who was probably the richest girl in the state), Max felt a lot more at ease when it came to snooping and walking through the room.

"Ok, Max. Everything is fine and you probably won't die in here. Now you just need to find something to prove that Dana isn't the backstabber that Juliet thinks she is," she mumbled to herself as she gave a light, cursory glance around the room. She didn't want to move too many things out of place, lest Victoria be the kind to know if something was out of its place and that would somehow lead her to knowing Max was the one who did it.

When it became apparent that a cell phone wasn't around that she could snoop through for texts, she went for the next best thing— Victoria's computer. There had to be something on it that would prove Dana's innocence. Victoria was _definitely_ the type to gossip about the shitty things she did.

Bingo!

 _Taylor, you will not believe what I just did. I've been sexting with Zachary ever since he and Juliet got together. I just texted Juliet telling her that I heard Dana was sexting with him and how she wants to date a quarterback. She totally believed me. That's what she gets for stealing my boyfriend from me. Love, Victoria_

Wow. Honestly, Max didn't expect it to be this. She figured— knew even— that Dana wasn't the type to sext with someone else's boyfriend, but this was nefarious and awful, even for Victoria. But, it would also prove that Dana was in fact innocent, the two were still friends, and Max could finally get that flash drive she so desperately needed.

And luckily, Victoria had a nice laser printer right next to her expensive laptop, prompting Max to quickly print out the email and leave the room in just as pristine condition as it had been when she entered. Though Max felt like there was always the chance Victoria wouldn't notice if she was missing something from the back of her closet. It was a big closet, after all!

Well, now was the time to get back to Juliet, which, thankfully, was just about twenty some steps away from where she was now.

"Juliet, look at this," Max said, handing the paper to Juliet, who scanned it and then let out a big sigh, her head dropping.

She moved over to the door and opened it, and Dana stepped out, arms folded, glaring at Juliet.

"I'm such an asshole, I'm sorry Dana, can you forgive me?" she asked, looking at the other, Max now feeling like a simple, lone bystander— a third wheel.

"I told you I would never sext Zachary," Dana said, sounding harsher than Max had ever heard the cheerleader before.

"I'll buy you a nice dinner," Juliet reasoned, which caused Dana to light up instantly.

"And you'll do my laundry for a week."

"Deal," Juliet said quickly, and the two launched into a full hug.

"I'll text you later then. And just know, I would never do anything to hurt you," Dana assured her, and Juliet nodded.

"Thanks Max. Now I really have to talk to Zachary and chew his ass out. I'll… I'll see you later," Juliet said, heading out of the dorm building.

"Thanks a bunch Max, I owe you," Dana said, smiling at Max before inviting her into her dorm room.

"No problem, you have Warren's flash drive still, right?" Max asked. She was happy that Dana and Juliet managed to make up and the whole situation get blown over— she didn't even need her powers for it! She was doing some real good. But she also needed to get Warren's flash drive to him before he sent a sixth text message to her about it.

"Yeah. There's a lot of stuff on it. Did you see that folder called Max?" she asked, giving a sly grin.

"Yeah, so?" Max asked simply.

"Are you oblivious or can you really not tell what that means?" Dana asked, confused by the other's apparent lack of knowledge.

"I don't think I follow what you're saying, Dana," Max said, shrugging.

"That's cute, Max. I can tell it totally means he likes you," she said, giggling.

"What? No," Max said, shaking her head. There was no way. Warren? liked her? No no no, no way.

"Maybe you can't see it, but I'm sure everyone else can, Max," Dana assured her, which caused Max to turn a bright shade of red. Which in turn caused Dana to giggle and laugh more.

"Don't tell Warren— or anyone else— but I'm _really_ not interested in him like that. Just as a friend. A bit of a clingy friend, but a friend," Max said, hoping that it would be crystal clear. Warren and her? _Gross._

Warren was a decent guy, but she had no interest in him in that way whatsoever. In reality, she, well, that was a whole other subject for Max, one that really wasn't important at the moment, nor was it one she cared to focus on.

"Your secret is safe with me, Max," Dana said in an almost sing-song voice, as if this was all some big fun secret. But if Warren heard this? She knew she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Thanks… well, I need to get going to get this back to Warren and then get some sleep. It's been a day," Max said with a sigh.

"I hear that, Max. Thanks again for everything you did today," Dana said with a goodbye wave, one Max returned as she left first Dana's dorm and then the dormitory building itself. Ok, that was out of the way, now it would be a simple walk to the parking lot where Warren was. She pulled out her phone, expecting a text or two with Warren wondering where she was.

Six text messages!?

 _Don't worry Warren, I just got your flash drive. I'll be over in just a bit._

 _Cool! See you then Max!_

Though this trip was supposed to be simple, as soon as she started to reach the stairs that would lead to the front of the campus, yet another thing she didn't exactly expect happened. David Madsen was bothering Kate Marsh?

"I see everything that goes on here at Blackwell," he said sternly, just like how he was grilling Max not even an hour ago.

"I don't know what you mean— please, just leave me alone," Kate said, shying away from him as he continued to step forward. Max already had to deal with David Madsen's bullshit earlier, and with what Kate had put up with in Mr. Jefferson's class, she wasn't about to just sit idly by and have her deal with more.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Max called out, stepping forward to stare down the school's security officer.

"Excuse me, missy, this is official Blackwell campus business—" he started, but Max had already decided she was having none of it.

"You shouldn't be yelling at or bullying students," she told him, in a rare burst of confidence, while Kate stood, as shaky and nervous as could be.

"I'm not bullying anyone. I'm just doing my job," he tried to tell her, but Max stood firmly.

"You are not doing your job if you're doing this."

"You are part of the problem with this school. Don't think I'll forget this," he told her, pointing at her before glaring at Kate Marsh one last time then storming off. Now that the adrenaline was going away, Max could already feel her legs shaking like jelly. As soon as David Madsen was out of eyesight, Kate ran over to Max, grabbing her hands.

"Oh gosh Max, you were great. You actually scared him. I didn't know that was possible. I-I have to go, I'm sorry, but thank you so much. Thank you so, so much," she said quickly, her voice nervous as ever. "This means the world to me, it really does."

"Of course Kate. You're my best friend, it's no trouble at all," Max said. She knew the words "best friend" were probably strong to use, but at least at Blackwell, it was true. She didn't have many other people to go to, Kate Marsh was really the only one. Kate's eyes widened at the statement and she turned a light shade of red, before waving goodbye and heading to her dorm. Max waved back. Time to get Warren his flash drive back. Then she'd have ample time to prepare for whatever Victoria had up her thousand dollar sleeves.

The walk to the Blackwell parking lot was surprisingly peaceful, and beautiful. Arcadia Bay was always beautiful this time of year, the slight chill in the air, the leaves, how the sun always started to set early. It was great. It made for amazing nature shots.

The parking lot was just as surrounded by greens and trees as the rest of the campus, and all the way across the parking lot was one Warren Graham.

Max walked over, Dana's words in her head. " _I can tell it totally means he likes you,"_ Ugh. With how stressed she was, last thing she needed was Warren asking her out. She'd probably explode from all of the stress added up.

"What's up, Max? How's it going?" he asked as Max started to dig through her messenger bag for the flash drive. When she looked up, his arms were outstretched… oh geez, was he trying for a hug? Oh gosh, why?

"Here's your flash drive. Thanks again," she said, offering a smile as he awkwardly put his arms down and took it, shoving it in his pocket quickly.

"Oh yeah, remember when I said I had something cool to show you? Look at my new car," he said, excited as could be over the old blue car that sat in the parking spot.

"Looks nice, really old school. But cool," she told him. It _was_ a pretty cool car, despite the age.

"Thanks! Just think, now we can go to the drive-in! There's one just sixty miles from here up in Newberg," he told her, and Max did her best to keep up the small smile she had on her face.

"You and I are in the wrong time, Warren," she said with a small laugh, folding her arms. She didn't want to be a jerk, and while a drive-in really would be fun, she definitely didn't want Warren to think of it as a date.

"Hey… is everything ok?" he asked, and Max almost felt frozen at the question. What was she supposed to say? That she saved Victoria's life after watching her get killed?

For some reason, that rather unreal statement seemed to be coming up a lot today in terms of what she both didn't want to say and couldn't say.

"Yeah, I'm fine Warren, thanks. It's just… it's been a real strange day," she told him, shrugging.

"Definitely. That fire alarm going off? Haven't had that happen before," he said.

"It's just, it's just been a day, Warren," she told him. Hopefully he would drop it. Warren was a good friend, but she didn't exactly feel up to telling him about her adventures in time traveling just yet.

"Oh, well hey, did you get a chance to check out all of the movies on the flash drive?" he asked. She knew it was coming, and now she just wished she had more time to watch what was on there so she could give a better answer.

"Yeah, I had been meaning to check out Akira for a while now," she said. If only she was able to watch all of it before falling asleep, though.

"I have a collection, huh? I'm definitely a pop culture connoisseur," he told her with a grin.

"Are you also a pop culture pirate?" she asked, and he rubbed his hand behind his head, very obviously busted.

"Very funny Maxine. Did you manage to check out Cannibal Holocaust?" he asked.

"I had already seen it. Honestly, Warren, I was more scared by all those romantic teen vampire movies you had on there," she told him, smirking. Even that was too much for her to handle when she saw it. Though she wouldn't tell him how much she snickered at it.

"I'm a sensitive high school boy. Can't I love sensitive vampires and sensitive teen vampire movies?" he asked, and she couldn't help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of the statement.

"Sensitive, huh?" she asked, nearly deadpan.

"…When you put it like that, it almost kind of sounds like an insult," he told her. Max had no comment, hoping the small smile she still had was enough.

"How so?" she asked. She could humor him. And she was actually kind of curious what made him think "sensitive" was an insult. Sensitive was great.

"That's code for "won't be having sex with you"," he told her, and Max had to stop herself from visibly cringing. _Gross._ Did he really think like that?

"I think someone sensitive would kick your ass for that comment," she said, making it sound like a joke, but in reality, it was dead serious.

"Oh, speaking of movies, we should cruise out in my car to an actual movie this week," he told her, eyes lighting up. "…But you seem distracted, are you sure you're ok?" he asked, tilting his head in a mix of curiosity and concern. As much as she would want to vent— plus, Kate didn't seem exactly up for the challenge— she wasn't ready. Not in the slightest.

"Sorry Warren, I don't want to speak about it. It's just been… it's been a day," she told him.

"Hey, I'm a good listener and a good friend. You can tell me anything you need," he said, and Max walked over, leaning onto the hood of his car.

"You're sure you won't tell anyone else?" she asked, looking over at him. She didn't need him telling everyone about how cool she was with being able to rewind time and save lives.

"Max, honest, I won't tell anyone," he assured her, and she nodded slowly.

"Ok, well in Mr. Jefferson's class today—" she started, but was quickly interrupted by the sounds of someone very familiar.

"Max Caulfield, right?" a voice asked. Nathan Prescott. Max bit her lip. Shit, what did he want?

He stood in front of them, fists clenched. Was he ready for a fight…? Oh shit.

"You're one of Jefferson's little photo groupies, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm one of his students. Not one of his groupies," she told him. He lightly shoved Warren out of the way after she spoke. Shit, he really was trying to start something right now.

"What the fuck ever, I don't care," he said, his voice getting notably angry now. Not as angry as he was in the girl's room earlier, but definitely angry.

"I know you're a photo junkie, especially when in the bathroom," he said, getting up in her face, causing Max to lean back a bit. She was actually really scared now. Just as scared as she was when she was watching him hold up Victoria. "Now tell me what you saw. Right. Fucking. Now," he ordered. She was sweating. She was actually sweating from this.

"I saw nothing. Nothing at all," she told him, her voice shaking. It definitely didn't fool Nathan.

"I might actually respect you if you didn't try and just feed me a bunch of bullshit," he told her, getting even closer.

"I… I don't need respect from someone like you," she told him, gulping. What was she saying!? How did she go from being a wallflower one day to talking back to Nathan fucking Prescott the next!?

"You're an idiot. You have no clue who I am or what I can do to you," he told her, clenching his fists even tighter. Shit, that was an outright threat!

"I think I know pretty clear who you are," she said, voice shaking. After seeing him threaten Victoria twice and shoot her once, she knew pretty damn well just who Nathan Prescott was, and what he was capable of.

"Shut the fuck up! You better worry about yourself, Maxine Caulfield," he told her. Ok, that was another very clear threat.

"Just step back, Nathan," she said, another surprising burst of confidence coming out.

"You think you can tell _me_ what to do?" he asked, before Warren decided to step in and try and dissolve the conflict. He grabbed him on the arm to try to pull him away.

" _Thank you so much, Warren,"_ she thought, that was, up until…

 _ **THUD**_

Nathan gave Warren a headbutt hard enough to knock Warren to the ground instantly. She wasn't going to have any of that. She had seen enough people pushed around today.

"Leave him alone!" she shouted at him, trying to pull him away before he'd try and tear apart Warren.

"Nobody tells me what to do!" he shouted, grabbing her by the neck and walking her back.

"Not you, not my parents, not the principal, not that fucking bitch Victoria Chase! No one!" he screamed at her. She managed to scratch him on the face, causing him to let go, and causing her to fall onto the ground. She couldn't help but mentally thank her mom for the brief, yet apparently effective self-defense lesson.

A rusted old pick up truck, one that had been sitting in the parking lot for a while, sped up behind Max before immediately braking. While Nathan was still reeling, Max used the truck to pull herself up, the driver's eyes wide.

"Max!?" the blue haired driver exclaimed upon seeing Max. It took just a brief moment, but the realization of who it was became apparent. Her best friend ever. The one she had to leave when the Caulfields moved from Arcadia Bay to Seattle.

"Chloe?" she asked, almost in disbelief. She looked the same but… different. This definitely didn't look like the Chloe she remembered crying with on moving day. Nathan looked up, just about growling.

"What!? You're here too?" he asked, stomping towards the car. That was, until Warren, in what seemed like the most un-Warren thing to do ever, tackled him to the ground.

"Go! I got this!" he called, and while she felt guilty about it, Max was definitely tempted to run away with her old friend. It definitely hurt to see Nathan punching Warren in the face though. Shit, that really had to hurt. When the door flung open, Max turned to see Chloe extending a hand.

"Come on, get in Max!" she shouted, and Max took the opportunity, especially since Nathan was now off of Warren and charging her.

He kicked so hard that the door to Chloe's truck slammed shut.

"Get the fuck out of there! Get out of there right now! Both of you!" he screamed. Yeah, he was definitely as mad as he was earlier, if not madder.

"Nobody messes with me! Nobody!" he screamed as Chloe sped away, and honestly, Max didn't even want to turn around to see what was happening. She felt scared stiff. She WAS scared stiff from what just happened.

The drive away from Blackwell was clear and quiet for the first five or so minutes, and finally, Max took a deep breath and spoke.

"Nathan Prescott is dangerous… this day feels like it's never going to end," she mumbled, letting out a sigh.

"'Oh, by the way, thanks Chloe!'" Chloe said, rolling her eyes as she continued to drive, looking at Max for only a brief second before staring back at the road.

"It's been five long years, and you're still Max Caulfield."

Max stayed quiet, her face drooping a bit. It just reminded her of that awful day, and how it had been five years too long since she had seen Chloe Price, her best friend in the world.

"Oh, don't be like that. You can pretend to look like you're happy to see me, you know," she joked, grinning at the brunette.

"Really Chloe, I'm really glad to see you right now," she told her. It wasn't even just for the fact that she was Chloe, or the fact that she had saved her from Nathan Prescott. It was… more than that, in a way she couldn't really explain. "It really is perfect that I'd see you today. That I'd see you right now."

"I can tell it's really been a day for you," she said, offering a small smile. It was definitely apparent that Max was stressed, and Chloe could tell. The two did know each other for so long, after all. Even if she didn't show, Chloe would easily know when Max was upset.

"What did he want?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max again briefly.

"After today, I really hope nothing," she said. It probably wouldn't be the type of answer Chloe would want, but after what she saw, she'd really need time to calm down before she could give Chloe the real answer. And she knew she'd be able to give Chloe the real answer. "Do you know him?"

"He's just another one of the assholes from Arcadia Bay. Your friend doesn't seem like he is though— he really took a beating for you," Chloe said simply. Yeah, Warren really did.

"I owe him. Big time," Max said, sighing again. Hopefully Warren wasn't dead or anything. Nathan was like the Hulk then— just without being all green. He didn't seem like he would ever stop.

"You're not the only one who owes, and you're already out here causing a lot of trouble, it looks like," Chloe said. Did she sound… mad, just then?

"Arcadia Bay had always been quiet, so I thought it would be the same when I came back, you know?" she asked. "Honestly… it feels surreal to be back, still."

"So, did Seattle suck?"

"It was alright. I was just, well, alone. Alone and way in over my head," Max told her. Sure, she had friends in Seattle, but the atmosphere was so different from what she was used to in Arcadia Bay. And now she was having trouble adjusting back to small town life already, it seemed.

"Well, you came back for Blackwell Academy," Chloe said, and Max turned red. Caught already, huh?

"You know how to read me too well, Chloe. And, well, yeah. It's probably the best photography program in the country," she said. That's why she had pushed so hard to try and get in. And that's why she spent a whole hour dancing and screaming in her room when she got accepted with a scholarship.

"So you're here for some fancy-ass photography program and not your best friend?" she asked, giving Max a side eye. Of course this put Max on tilt and caused her to turn red.

"Of course I'm happy to see you. You're my best friend, why wouldn't I be happy to see you?" she asked.

"You spent five years without a call, a text, a birthday card, nothing. So I dunno, you answer that for me," Chloe said. Shit. Max knew she messed up with Chloe when she left, but hearing just how bad it was? It hurt.

"I'm sorry Chloe, I really am. We were both… we were both going through a lot of changes," she said, though Max knew just as well as Chloe probably did that that wasn't a valid excuse in the slightest.

"I guess the biggest change was cutting me out of your life?" Chloe asked. Ouch, she knew how to hit where it hurt.

"Chloe, you know that's not true," Max said, trying to plead with her about it. Though Chloe was far too stonefaced to have it work.

"Bullshit, Max. You just thought you were gonna make a bunch of asshole art friends up in Seattle and it didn't happen," Chloe said. Shit, she really was biting down now.

"That's not—" Max tried to start, but Chloe kept it up.

"And you've been back in Arcadia Bay and at Blackwell for a month. I think that says everything that needs to be said, Max," Chloe told her.

"I just wanted to get my bearings and fit in at Blackwell without immediately falling into the shy geek cliche," Max said, trying to reason yet again. "I totally would have contacted you—" she added, but was once again cut off.

"I'm sure you don't use these excuses on anyone at Blackwell, so don't use them on me."

The statement hit home, it was true. It was all true. She sunk in the passenger seat, having nothing to say to it without confirming what Chloe was saying as absolute truth. Neither of them said anything for a while, and Max took the opportunity to go search through her bag quick… and her camera was broken, just about two steps from destroyed, even. Great. She picked up the camera and looked at it, sighing.

"Broken? Why…" she said, dejected.

"My step-douche has a bunch of tools in the garage, you can fix it at my place," Chloe told her, grinning. Max had to admit, the nickname "step-douche" was pretty funny.

"I need specific tools, Chloe. Tiny ones," Max told her, still looking at and lamenting the potential loss of her camera.

"My stepdad's garage is filled with stuff. And he's a specific, tiny tool," she quipped.

Max leaned back into her seat again, it sure was something to be back in Arcadia Bay. She was glad to see Chloe again, she couldn't be gladder, even, but things were definitely different between them, even if now they seemed at least a bit closer than just a few minutes prior.

" _Hopefully I'll be able to work my way back into Chloe's good graces. I really did miss her,"_ Max though, sitting in silence for a bit as Chloe kept driving.

"Welcome home, Max."


	4. Chrysalis

**So this is the end of Episode 1 as it is in the game. I tried to diverge more and add a lot of little dialogue and extras for Chloe and Max... and a little teasing for future chapters. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, like I said, I did my best to deviate from the game while still following the relative past. I'll have to evaluate how I want to go about Polarized, now. The next chapter will focus on Max and Victoria, and I might do a chapter after that with a focus on Chloe, before heading into Episode 2 itself.**

 **Trigger Warning for abuse in the latter half of the chapter**

* * *

There it was, the Price household. The house Max had spent just about half her life at from five to thirteen. The one that held the very best memories from her childhood. And the one they spent hours crying in when Chloe's father died, when she had to tell Chloe that they were moving to Seattle. Some of the best and worst moments and memories took place in that house.

"I never thought I'd see it again," Max said, almost to herself, as Chloe pulled into the driveway.

"Don't get too excited, girl. All those home improvements my parents always talked about? Never happened. Pretty sure the house has gotten worse since you've been gone," Chloe warned, and Max shook her head, the two of them getting out of the car.

"Come on, don't say that. Your house is great. Sometimes it was even more of a home to me than my own house," Max told her as Chloe unlocked the front door, welcoming the brunette in.

"Well, don't say things you can't take back later. C'mon, we can set up shop and relax in my room for a bit and then you can fix your camera," Chloe said, waving Max to follow her up the stairs.

" _This feels… unreal. I mean, I know I've had the wildest fucking day ever, but just being with Chloe… being in her house. I didn't think it would happen again…"_ she thought. Though everything looked… different. Darker, almost. There were still pictures on the wall, but the house seemed… dreary. Maybe Joyce and Chloe really didn't work on keeping the place up ever since William… died.

Chloe had seemed a lot different than the Chloe that Max knew when she left Arcadia Bay— no— she was still the same Chloe, just grown up and she found her place in the world.

Where Max Caulfield became a quiet Seattle hipster, Chloe became some sort of goth punk. More punk than goth, though. And with really awesome blue hair.

" _Chloe's hair rocks… maybe I could try coloring my hair? Nah… it wouldn't look as great as hers…"_ Max thought, letting out a small sigh. Hopefully Chloe wouldn't notice. But Chloe seemed to notice a lot, for better or worse. That's how it had been ever since they were kids.

"I know you get scared easily, so don't have a heart attack when you see my room," Chloe teased, grabbing hold of the door knob.

"Ha ha," Max said, a very obvious fake laugh as she folded her arms. "I don't scare that easy. I didn't even scare that easy back when we were kids. Plus, I've watched a TON of scary movies since then. Max Caulfield doesn't get scared anymore," she said. Ok, sure, it was a bluff, a huge one— she was scared shitless of Nathan Prescott now.

"Well, I guess after you went all Wolverine on Nathan Prescott's face, my room won't seem nearly as bad now," she smirked, opening the door and walking in. Max followed behind her, quiet, a bit… shocked, almost?

It was different. Graffiti full of curses, posters of punk bands and… girls kissing? Junk laying all over the floor, this was not the room of Chloe Price that Max remembered. Chloe's room now seemed a lot like Chloe now: changed radically… maybe to stay strong after what happened with her dad? Just a wall to protect herself.

Though if this was the Chloe Price of now, this was the Chloe Price of now. Even if she was all punk, even if she had colored hair, even if she had posters of girls kissing hug up on the walls, Chloe Price was still and would be her best friend forever. She would make sure of it even though she just about abandoned her for five years. Even if it did sound really silly and cheesy.

…Would it be rude to ask about those posters, though?

"Welcome to my Batcave. Or, well, welcome back, I should say. It's gotten some major stylistic changes. What do you think?" she asked before sitting down on the bed.

"It's… it's a lot different than I remember, Chloe. It all is," Max admitted. It felt awkward saying it, but it was true. Everything about Chloe had changed.

"Well, sure it's different, but it's me. It's who I've become. You know, the product of your environment… or something like that," Chloe said with a shrug. Max knew it was true, and she also knew that Chloe probably wouldn't want to admit that.

"Well the new you— err— you— is great. Not quite what I would have expected. It's perfect. It's you," Max said sincerely. Though… it sounded cheesy the way she said it. What was up with her today?

" _My nerves are just shot, that's all. That's all,"_ she repeated in her mind. Today was just a lot to take in.

As Max started to walk through Chloe's room over to her bed, her eyes caught a large stack of papers on her desk— were those— they were!

"…I saw a ton of these posters all over campus. Rachel Amber, she's been missing. Have you… have you been putting these up Chloe? There's like, a hundred here," she said, eyeing the stack of fliers that was probably near a foot tall.

"Yup, I've been putting them up everywhere in town. There's not a telephone pole or bulletin board in Arcadia Bay that doesn't have one of these on it," Chloe said with a small smile, almost… proud of it?

"So… can I ask about it? About the posters, about why you're putting them up, I mean. I've seen them, but all I really know about Rachel Amber is that she's been gone for… well, for months. And Victoria Chase has a tendency to say a _lot_ of rude things about her," Max explained, and Chloe seemed to get… pretty mad about that?

"What? Ugh, I know she always hated Rachel, but talking shit about her? Fuck her," she grumbled, and Max was definitely surprised.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset," Max apologized quickly.

"It's… It's fine. I just lost my cool, sorry about that. Anyways, Rachel Amber… she was— no— she is my best friend. She's more than my best friend. She's like a guardian angel," Chloe started, and Max felt her stomach drop.

" _Oh… so Chloe got a new friend while I was off in the big city. That's fine. I want her to have friends— I'm glad she did. But why does it feel so weird?"_ Max thought, scrunching her face up a bit as Chloe continued.

"Not too long after you moved away, we met, and she's just helped make my life worth living ever since shit happened. Ever since dad died, ever since you left, she's helped pull me through it. She was my angel," she explained, Max staying silent. What could she say through all this?

"…I loved her, Max," she added, now staring at the ground, hands clasped together, while Max's eyes were wide as could be. Was she…?

"Loved her? Like— loved her like we would always say how we love each other, or…?" Max asked. Was this too much to ask? Chloe brought it up, but Max wasn't entirely sure.

"We were girlfriends, Max. Dating. I don't think mom ever knew about it— or if she did she was cool with it," Chloe said. Joyce always did seem like she would be cool with who Chloe would end up with. She was glad that Chloe found someone she loved, but, and as selfish as it would sound if she said it out loud, she was kind of sad she was thrown to the side for someone else.

Though, she didn't call or text for five years.

Maybe she deserved being thrown to the side.

"I'm happy for you both," she said, giving Chloe as big a smile as she could, even if she wasn't feeling in the highest spirits.

"She just… up and disappeared. April twenty-second. I won't forget that day. She vanished. We'd been planning for a while to move down to Los Angeles to start our life together. She was going to become a model. We were going to get the life we wanted— the life we deserved," Chloe explained, and Max couldn't help but feel her heart breaking as Chloe talked.

"So you've just been looking for her all this time?" Max asked.

"Yeah. The police closed their fucking investigation! They won't bother looking for her anymore! If I have to do it all myself then I will! She's out there somewhere, I know it!" Chloe said, fired up all of a sudden.

"If you need help, I'll help you any way I can, Chloe. You're my best friend, and if you loved her, if you two were girlfriends, then she's important to me too. Just let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it," Max said. Maybe her powers would be able to help her out!

Chloe sighed and grabbed a joint from an ashtray on her desk, and a lighter. She lit the joint, started to smoke, and then laid down back on her bed, staying silent for a few moments, as Max watched silently.

"Just let me sit and chill for a bit. You can go find my stepdad's tools in the garage. When you get them you can come back up and fix your camera and we can talk more about this stuff," Chloe told her as Max started to head to the door. She didn't really want to leave Chloe alone, but it seemed like the best course of option right now, really.

"I'll be back in a bit," Max told her, looking back one last time, though Chloe pushed herself up from the bed briefly to look at Max easier.

"One thing before you go?" she asked, and Max nodded. "Do you mind turning the stereo on? I need something to listen to while I chill," she added. Max couldn't help but laugh a bit, looking around to plug in the stereo, get a CD, and turn on the stereo.

"By the way… you have to tell me how you got caught up in shit with Nathan Prescott, ok?" Chloe asked.

"I'll tell you when I'm come back up… it's a big story, though," Max said, pressing the play button. Soft indie rock came on. That… really didn't seem like the type of music punk Chloe would listen to. In fact, Max knew this song, it was on one of her most listened to playlists.

Maybe they still had something in common after all.

"My whole life is big stories lately, what's another one to add to the pile," Chloe joked, and Max offered a small smile, before heading out of Chloe's room.

…Maybe she'd just have to look around the Price house for a bit. Just for old times' sake.

She knew where the garage was, she had been in there plenty of times with William and Chloe to fix bicycle tires or watch her dad work on his car.

Max gently traipsed down the stairs, looking at the kitchen and living room— now these were two of the biggest building blocks of Max Caulfield's growing up. In the kitchen Joyce made the best damn pancakes you could ever think of, and the living room? Every other week they'd have cookies, pizza, a blanket fort on the couch, playing video games, her and Chloe. It was amazing.

…And it wouldn't happen anymore. They were grown up now. They were completely different.

" _I'm sure if I even brought up the idea of a movie night sleepover to Chloe, she'd laugh her ass off…"_ Max thought, letting out a sigh as she spent a moment sitting on the couch. The beer stain was still probably on the other side of the cushion.

"That swing set is still there…" she mumbled to herself, standing up and looking into the backyards. There were summers spent out there, William and her own dad grilling burgers and hot dogs, and Chloe constantly trying to convince Max it was a good idea to go all the way around on the swing set.

It wasn't.

It was a messy hospital trip. Way too messy. Though somehow Max's parents didn't try and keep her away from Chloe after that, though they probably knew Max wouldn't stay away from her no matter what.

She didn't… except for the past five years.

She'd fix that, though.

"That's enough time getting high on nostalgia, I have to go find those tools," Max said to herself, pushing herself up off the couch and heading to the garage, same place it was after all these years.

Max walked in and turned on the lights… things seemed, ok, she couldn't tell if things were different right off the bat, but something _felt_ different. And it didn't take that long until she turned to notice a large gun case in the corner. Shit, that definitely wasn't there last time she was there.

"Chloe's stepdad is a gun nut? No wonder she hates him… I doubt I would even like him," she mused, before shaking her head to explore the nearby desk/workbench. There wasn't much there, except for some dog tags, whose were those?

"Madsen? David? David Madsen? Holy crap, my school's security guard is Chloe's stepdad? There's no way…" Max mumbled to herself, dropping the dog tags as quickly as she had picked them up. He was the asshole who had hassled her this morning and was harassing Kate Marsh, and did… who knows what else to girls around school. Yikes.

"I… I can look around a bit more. Just to make sure. Chloe isn't a fan of David Madsen, and I've seen first hand what he does at Blackwell… I can— should, I should look around, just a minute. Chloe's smoking, I still have a little time," Max said to herself as she snooped around his desk some. His laptop was locked— thank God. Max really didn't have much interest in knowing what kind of porn Blackwell's rent-a-cop looked at.

She started to look through the cabinets above the desk, eventually coming to something interesting on the far left. A little television? She turned it on and… holy shit.

"He's SPYING on them!?" Max screamed, before closing her mouth quickly. Fuck, she really hoped no one else was home besides the two of them. There was a security camera view of the backyard, of the kitchen, of the bathroom? And Chloe's room? What the hell kind of power trip was he on!?

"This is so gross," Max said, holding her stomach briefly as she turned off the television and closed the cabinet. She'd have to tell Chloe ASAP.

"Tools, I should just find the tools. I can find the tools, fix the camera, and let Chloe know that her stepdad really is a step-douche," she said to herself before starting her search back up again.

It took a bit, but she finally found the tools on top of the washing machine.

"Finally, but who keeps tools up there? Like, really?" she asked, grabbing the chair that was by the desk and set it in front of the washing machine. She stood on top of it and reached on her tip toes to grab the tools… until it started to teeter and fall backwards.

"Shit! Go back, Max! Go back go back!" Max screamed as the chair fell, her own body dangerously close to hitting the ground. She moved her hand out, and while her body hung where it was, the chair went back to it's place. She moved her hand back and she fell, luckily having stopped where she was in the air, it hurt a lot less than it probably would have.

"Crap… I guess… my powers don't work like that," she sighed before getting up. "That's an important lesson to take note of," she added with a mumble before stepping up on the chair again and reaching up, praying under her breath that she wouldn't fall, and this time… actually managed to grab the tools. She let out a sigh of relief to herself and then moved the chair back where it was, then put the tools in her messenger bag. Now, after that near potentially catastrophic fall, she had those tools. Now it was time to get back up to Chloe's room.

As Max left the garage, she felt her phone buzz and took it out. She could spare a minute or two to read and answer some text messages.

Geez, there were a lot. First up though, was one lovely Kate Marsh.

 _Max, I just wanted to say thank you for telling David Madsen off today. It really means a lot to me._

 _No Problem, Kate. Seriously, he was being a real jerk to you. You're my friend, of course I'm gonna stand up for you when you need it!_

 _Well thanks Max. Sorry we didn't have a chance to hang out today. Do you want to hang out tomorrow?_

 _Sure! That sounds awesome. I should be free, so we can talk tomorrow morning :)_

Honestly, talking with Kate like this made Max feel happy. She did something good, she didn't even need to use these powers for it. And now she had plans with Kate for tomorrow. Things were looking great. Max took a few steps, heading closer to the stairs, before figuring she'd have to respond to Warren's text too. As… Warren as he was, he really saved her today— and his text showed that he had the black eye to prove it.

 _No need to thank your knight in shining armor, Max! This black eye doesn't hurt. Well, ok, it's not that bad._

 _Thanks Warren, I really do owe you and you have no clue how much I appreciate it._

 _Any time, Mad Max! By the way, you have to tell me who that chick you rode off with is!_

 _I'm a bit busy but I'll tell you tomorrow, I promise. Sorry!_

Ok, maybe explaining all of this to Warren would be a bit tricky, and Max figured— or knew, really— that she probably wouldn't be able to tell him about her powers at the moment. Well, maybe it wouldn't be that bad explaining Chloe, mostly just the situation that she was in that brought Chloe to whisking Max away.

And of course, one more text, but… from who?

Of course, Victoria Chase.

 _Maxine Caulfield, you never told me that you'll be in my room tonight._

That… almost sounded threatening.

 _Are you going to be there?_

 _Yeah, I'll be there, Victoria._

 _And thanks for letting me through today, I appreciate it._

Surely some niceties would help out and maybe make Victoria think twice in case she felt like beating up Max… though after a minute or two it became apparent to her that Victoria wasn't going to be texting. She'd just have to wait until tonight. Eleven at night.

…

There was no point in worrying much more right now, Max started to head back up the stairs— she figured pretty soon Chloe would be looking for her with how long she figured she was gone. She reached Chloe's door and peeked in, waving.

"Hey, I'm back," she greeted before finally entering, showing the tools that caused so much pain to get.

"Finally… hey, did I hear you downstairs or something? I thought I heard something, but, well, if you did say something, it wasn't too urgent since you didn't say much," Chloe joked, now starting to sit up, setting her joint in the ashtray and setting it off to the side on her bed.

"No no, I'm fine. Everything was fine. I just took a little look around your house. You know, for old times sake," she said sheepishly, and Chloe nodded.

"Well, now you got the tools, let's see if you can fix that camera— and you have to tell me about what happened with you and Nathan Prescott that got him so aggro on you," Chloe said as the two moved to her desk, Max pulling out her camera to start working on it.

"Ok, well… you have to promise me you won't flip out and you'll believe me. It'll sound a bit unreal, bout you really have to promise you'll believe me on this, Chloe," Max started, starting to take out tools to work on the camera.

"Ok, when you say something like that, I almost get a little scared, you know," Chloe said, standing up next to the sitting Max, arms crossed.

"So, I was leaving my photography class today— the one with Mister Jefferson. And I went to the bathroom because I had a… a weird dream when I fell asleep in class so I went to wash off my face," she started, switching between tools every so often when she didn't see herself making much progress.

She had seen a few tutorials on Youtube on how to do this, but actually doing it? Shit, it was actually really tough. She wasn't even sure it was actually working. Chloe had just been standing next to her, probably waiting for her to continue.

"And then I took a great picture of a butterfly but I heard someone come in, and it was Nathan Prescott, and he was going crazy talking about some girl getting him mad or something and—" she continued, until she heard an audible gasp from Chloe. She dropped her tools and looked at her, and Chloe seemed… shaken?

"Chloe, what's wrong?"

"That… he was talking about me, Max," she stuttered out nervously.

 _What?_

"You? Wait, but he… he…" Max started, but was cut off.

"What happened next, Max," Chloe said. She seemed a bit… shaky? Like, literally… was everything ok?

"Ok, well, I was hiding, because, like I said, Nathan was acting wild and scary, and then Victoria Chase comes in came in and he flipped out on her and he pulled out a gun and—" she continued, only to once again be interrupted.

"A gun? That fucker had a gun!?" she asked, panic in her voice.

"Chloe? Is… everything ok? You keep getting really… nervous about all of this," Max said, and Chloe gulped.

"I was supposed to meet him there. I'm the girl that was getting him mad," she admitted, and now Max was the one who was shaken.

"Wait? You were the person he was meeting him in there? You were the one who he meant to sh—" she started, before immediately stopping herself. What was she thinking? She couldn't say that Victoria got shot… could she? Could she trust Chloe enough to tell her about her time powers?

She didn't really know.

"—He almost shot. I saw him with his gun and he pushed Victoria up against the wall so I hit the fire alarm," she said. It was basically the truth, just a tiny change.

"You saved her life?" Chloe asked.

"Of course! I'm not gonna let her die just because I don't like her!" Max told her. That would have been… messed up.

"I dunno, after what she's said about Rachel and me, I might not," Chloe said, and Max narrowed her eyebrows. "Ok, ok, I'd probably save her."

"I wouldn't be happy about it though," she added, and Max shook her head.

"Well, yeah. You were seriously supposed to meet him?" Max asked, she was flabbergasted by it, honestly.

"Yeah. If you think about it, you saved both of us. You're a real hero, Max Caulfield," Chloe told her, smiling.

"Thanks. I'm really glad nothing bad happened to you— either of you, but especially you. You're my best friend, if anything happened… I don't even know," Max said, sighing. If Chloe had gotten shot instead of Victoria? Watching Victoria briefly die was shitty enough, she'd probably have a breakdown if it was Chloe instead.

"Shit… today was really intense," Chloe said, and Max nodded.

"And even worse, I don't think this camera is going to be coming back to life anytime soon," Max groaned angrily, dropping the tools in defeat.

"Oh, have no fear, Chloe is here to save the day!" Chloe said, trotting off over to some drawers and plucked out a camera— William's camera.

"Happy birthday! I know it's late, but, here, it's for you," she said, handing the camera over to the brunette, who seemed awestruck.

"Chloe… this was William's. I can't take this," she told her, pushing it away.

"Come on, he'd want you to have it. This was his best camera… I won't be using it, either. Come on, he'd really prefer you have it," Chloe assured her, and after a bit of contemplation, Max nodded and took the camera, sticking it in her bag, before hugging Chloe.

"Thanks," she said quietly before letting go.

"No problem, and, again, happy birthday," Chloe said, a warm smile on her face. They were bonding again. They were actually becoming friends again after so long.

"But, uh, can I ask why you were meeting Nathan in the girl's room? Or why you meant to?" Max asked, though part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know. Getting mixed up with Nathan Prescott seemed really dangerous, and if Chloe was involved…

"We can talk about that in a bit. I'm, honestly… a bit tired of talking about such heavy stuff right now, let's unwind a bit!" Chloe said, excitement overflowing in her voice.

"Chloe— Chloe I don't have anything against pot I just don't think I'm ready to try it out right now—" Max said as Chloe just about skipped past her, heading to the stereo.

"Oh come on, you had a big day fighting assholes, I'm not gonna throw you into the shark tank again," she joked, "I'm gonna put on some music, we're gonna listen and rock out, girl! I want you actually dancing!" she added, putting on some rather loud indie rock.

Max had this song on her playlist too.

As soon as the music started to blare, Chloe had jumped up on her bed and started to move and shake, grabbing her joint once again and taking a few intermittent puffs after she lit it up again.

Max couldn't help but stand there, laughing. This was her best friend, Chloe Price. Dancing on a bed, shaking around, smoking.

"Break in that camera of yours and take a great action shot!" Chloe told her, and Max quickly complied, taking one mid-puff. It was so ridiculous, but it was _so_ Chloe.

"It looks perfect, Chloe," Max laughed, and Chloe's smile grew bigger. It was a smile she hadn't seen in such a long time.

"Great, now you start dancing too, hipster! I'm not taking no for an answer! Don't they teach you to dance at Blackwell?" she asked, and Max gave in, twisting her arms and her hips. It looked awful and felt silly, but it was… it was a lot of fun.

It was more bonding, and as curious as she was about Nathan Prescott and her, a little dancing wouldn't hurt. It was fun, it was so much fun.

 _ **SLAM!**_

Uh, what was that?

Chloe reacted a lot more panicked than Max did, who was mostly just confused. She jumped off the bed and started to put the joint in the ashtray— after taking one last toke— then set it on the desk.

"Max, turn off the music, quick!" she shouted quietly (that was somehow possible, as Max just learned) and Max complied, quickly moving over to the stereo and turning it off as quick as she could.

"Were you blaring that shit punk music, Chloe!?" a voice shouted from downstairs. If the dog tags downstairs didn't confirm it, this definitely did— that was definitely Blackwell's security guard.

"Your stepdad is really the Blackwell security guard?" Max asked— again. She honestly couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, Max just go hide—" Chloe started, shooing Max to go to the closet, but it was too late, David Madsen entered the room.

 _Crap._

"I told you to stop blasting that shit so loud, Chloe— and— and who's this?" David asked, walking over to Max, staring her down for a brief moment before heading over to Chloe's desk, inspecting her desk— he picked up the joint! Shit!

"Are you smoking grass in here Chloe?" he asked, stepping over menacingly, before Max nearly flung herself between the two.

"I-It's mine, Mr. Madsen," she started shakily. "I uh, I brought it in. School has had me stressed and Chloe said it was ok if I could smoke in here and I just pressured her into it all," Max said. It was a lie. It was such an obvious lie, both her and Chloe knew it. She just hoped David didn't know it. She didn't want Chloe to get in trouble for something like that.

"Max Caulfield. First you harass me on campus, and now you pressure my stepdaughter into letting you smoke pot in my house? Who the hell do you think you are?" David asked, and Max, while scared, had the fire to fight back. Maybe it was Chloe— no— it was definitely Chloe encouraging her to fight for both of them.

"I didn't harass you! You were harassing Kate Marsh! You kept bothering her and I stood up for her!" Max told him.

"You—" he started, but Max kept going, fired up now more than ever. He had already harassed Kate, she wasn't going to let him harass her or Chloe now.

"All you've been doing is harassing Kate Marsh lately and putting her through hell and—" Max kept going, tearing into him, before she felt a sudden sting on her face.

It took Max a moment to realize that David slapped her, she noticed his hand, and his face… some sick mix of disappointment and anger.

"I'm sorry I had to do that, Max Caulfield, but you pushed me too far. I was doing my job," David told her, and Chloe moved Max behind her and got in his face.

"Don't you dare fucking do that again, David! If you touch her again you will be in hella pain!" Chloe said, pushing a finger into his face. David reared his hand up again, just as a threat, and Chloe backed away.

"I'm sorry girls, like I said, I didn't want to do this, but I had no choice. And Max, don't think I won't let Principal Wells know about what you did in here. And I don't want to see you back in this household again, do you understand me?" he asked, before leaving Chloe's room, slamming the door shut.

Chloe flipped him the bird angrily, biting her lip hard to prevent herself from yelling, then put an arm around Max, moving close.

"Hey… are you ok? I'm really sorry about what that piece of shit did to you," Chloe said, hugging her. Max just stayed silent.

"… _I could be fucked at Blackwell now…"_ was all Max could think.

"Come on," Chloe said, grabbing Max's hand, "not only do we need to get out of here, but I have the perfect place for us to go," Chloe added, opening the window and lightly dragging Max over.

"We have a lot to talk about, Max."

Chloe took Max up to the lighthouse. It had always been a special spot that William took them when they were younger, and Max couldn't help but feel… warmed by this all. It almost felt like Chloe was going all out to help her after what happened— just today in general. It was a heavy day, and honestly? Just having Chloe around, being back with her, was a lot of help.

Chloe had already ran up to the bench by the lighthouse, while Max strolled along. Between rewinding time so much, seeing Victoria get shot, realizing that Chloe could have been the one to get shot instead, and getting slapped by the Blackwell rent-a-cop, she felt justified in her lack of energy.

Max finally made it up and sat down next to Chloe, the two of them sitting in silence for what at first felt like an eternity (but had only been about a minute or two) when Chloe finally spoke up.

"So a little while ago, I went to a bar. A little shit ass hole in the wall that wouldn't card me. Not too far from here actually," she started, and Max turned to look at her friend, staying silent.

"And our buddy Nathan Prescott is there. And I know he's got cash, so I try to get some money since he's drunk off his ass and opening his wallet like nobody's business."

"So… what happened?" Max asked, deathly afraid to find out what happened. What actually happened.

"I was gonna get money. He was so drunk that I figured it was going to be no problem. I was going to get a bunch of money so Rachel and I would be able to get the hell out of here and down to LA… once I actually managed to find her. But shit didn't turn out how I hoped," she sighed.

"I needed— need over three fucking grand, but before I could get that, he spiked my drink. Rat bastard," Chloe continued, and Max audibly gasped.

"No way, no fucking way he did that…" she said, in actual disbelief. From what she had seen of Nathan, she knew he was awful, but this felt like a whole other level.

"Yeah, he did. So I woke up and he was literally on top of me. So I kicked him in the balls so hard he'll probably be remembering it ten years from now, pushed him into a lamp, and I got the hell out of dodge. It was… it was terrifying, Max. Probably one of the top five terrifying moments ever," she said with a sigh.

"So wait… he did all that? And you didn't kill him?" Max asked… she was still astonished and shocked this all went down, that Chloe could have been seriously hurt or violated.

"No, because I still needed money, and he has a ton of it. I was going to meet him, today. I told him I'd meet him and I was gonna make me pay to keep this all under wraps. But I really needed a smoke to calm my nerves before I met him in there and that's when little Miss Chase decided to do her lipstick or whatever," Chloe said with a small shrug, looking almost defeated.

"And that's when she got—" she started, and Chloe quirked an eyebrow at her.

"—got held up at gun point," she added, sighing. This was not a good day and things were only looking down.

Chloe walked a bit closer to the cliff, staring out at Arcadia Bay.

"I just want to find her, Max. I want to find her, and I want out of this shithole that's robbed my life from me," Chloe said, clenching her right hand into a fist briefly. Max started to walk towards her, a bit slowly.

"We'll find her, Chloe, we'll find—" she started, before collapsing to the ground, her vision going black.

When Max woke up… she was down at the bottom of the hill, just where she was a little bit earlier. Except now it was raining… no, it wasn't just raining, it was POURING! And there was so much wind, she could barely stand up.

What was happening!?

She walked up closer to the lighthouse, she needed to see… whatever was going on, and whatever it was, she knew it wasn't good.

Was that a… a deer she saw? It was like it was leading her up the trail. Max ran as quickly as she could, just barely dodging rubble and… and trees, holy shit.

When she reached the top of the plateau, she quickly dove, seeing that the top of the lighthouse was falling.

"Holy shit! What's happening?" she just about screamed, to no one but herself. And when she stood up, she saw the cause of this entire mess.

A giant fucking tornado, headed for town.

"Holy… holy shit… it's headed for the town! No!" she screamed, moving forward a bit, but knowing it would be futile. It was a sheer drop, and even if she could reach the town from here… what could she even do?

There was, however, a newspaper stuck on a signpost. She grabbed it and looked at it.

October 11, 2013.

That was… That was Friday.

How was she… here?

"This… a tornado is gonna hit Arcadia Bay on Friday!? No!" she screamed, before suddenly… jolting awake?

She was back, sitting on the bench, and everything was… normal.

"Max… Max? Max are you ok? You… you really blacked out there," Chloe said, waving her hand in front of Max's face, and she nodded.

"I— I'm fine. I… Chloe I saw a tornado! It was headed for the town! It's going to wipe out the town on Friday!" Max told her, clearly panicked.

"Max, you're just tired and you passed out, you probably just had a hella weird dream," Chloe said, but Max shook her head.

"I'm serious! I know it sounds crazy, Chloe, but you have to believe me. I went forward in time. And earlier today I went back in time— I went back in time to save Victoria, you have to believe me!" Max begged. It was too late now. And if Chloe didn't believe her… who would be able to believe her?

"I know you lied to cover my ass about being the one who smoked that joint but are you sure you didn't actually smoke or something?" Chloe asked, laughing a bit, and Max shook her head again.

"Chloe please, you have to believe me, you have to. When I saved Victoria Chase today— I didn't save her at first. I saw get shot, I saw her die right in front of my eyes. And I reached out and… and I was back in Mister Jefferson's class. And then I went back and I hit the fire alarm and I saved her. Please, you HAVE to believe me!" she begged, grabbing Chloe's hand, who seemed a bit taken aback.

"Max…" Chloe started, but Max kept going.

"And when you heard me shout back at your house? I fell off a chair when I was getting David's tools in the garage, so I shouted, and then I rewound time so I wouldn't die when I fell, only get hurt a little bit. Please, you have to believe me Chloe. I'm not bullshitting you, I'm not lying. You're my best friend and I need you to believe me, please," she begged.

Chloe stayed quiet for a moment before nodding, gripping Max's hand a bit.

"I believe you," Chloe said, a small smile forming on her face as Max let out a sigh of relief.

" _Oh thank God she actually believes me…"_ Max thought. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. One of them, at least.

Though, if the day hadn't been terrifying and exhausting enough, almost on cue, it started to… to snow?

"It's… no… is this snow?" Max asked, holding her free hand out, still holding onto Chloe's hand with her other.

Her hand felt… right there. With Chloe's hand.

It was snowing. It was totally snowing. Max and Chloe turned to look out at the water and the town. It was snowing all throughout town.

"Max. It's like, eighty degrees today. I'm not just seeing this, am I?" Chloe asked, and Max slowly shook her head.

"No… I'm seeing it too. Snow in Arcadia Bay. Actual snow. In Arcadia Bay.

"So… you said a huge ass tornado is gonna hit Arcadia Bay on Friday?" Chloe asked, and Max nodded slowly.

"Yeah… I think— I know it will," Max said, her voice shaky. Just those very words terrified her. Combined with her… vision… whatever it was… she had no clue what to think.

"Ok," Chloe said, dragging Max down the hill to get to her truck. "I'm taking you back to Blackwell, you had a hella rough day, girl. But on the way back you are filling me in on everything that you saw today and your crazy ass time powers, ok?" Chloe asked, and Max nodded.

"I will tell you literally everything. From the moment I woke up to now," Max said, causing the two of them to laugh a bit.

"Max… I feel like there's something big here. Your time powers, Rachel, this snow, that tornado… Max, I feel like this isn't good," Chloe said as the two got in Chloe's truck.

"We'll figure it out, Chloe. Nothing bad will happen. We'll make sure of it."


	5. Cut to the Chase

**Ok, so this is the first of two chapters that will take place between episodes 1 and 2, with this one being Max and Victoria's talk in Victoria's dorm late at night. I had a lot of fun writing this and I can tell it will definitely add to a lot in terms of helping deviate from the original product more and more. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Although everything that Max had to tell Chloe wasn't exactly too pleasant, the situation called for it, and Max needed to tell Chloe everything. But besides that, they actually got to spend more time together. Chloe decided to treat Max to dinner at one of the nearby fast food burger places. As much as Max said she would pay for them, Chloe never gave her the chance.

The two sat inside Chloe's truck, some snow still falling, and some still on the ground, somewhat melted, as they quietly ate their burgers and french fries. It was eight pm right now, only three hours until Max would be face to face with Victoria Chase and had no clue what to expect.

"So, you're really going to go?" Chloe asked between bites, and Max nodded.

"Well, it's not like I can't go. She'll confront me and probably be angry and… It won't be a good idea," Max told her.

"Well, do you want me to like, be nearby for backup? In case she's going to start some shit?" Chloe asked with a grin, almost ready for action.

"I know you don't like Victoria— I don't really like her either. But if she just wants to talk, then I'll just do that. I don't want to start a fight if I don't have to."

"Suit yourself— just— if you need me, text me and I'll be there in a second. If her or Nathan try and fuck with you I'll— I dunno what, but they won't get away with anything they try, I promise," Chloe assured her, and Max smiled.

"Just— I want you to be safe, and I know Victoria Chase is dangerous," she added, and Max couldn't help but feel nervous. Would… would Victoria actually hurt her? The thought crept in and out of her mind periodically throughout the day, but now that it was closer and closer, Max couldn't help but get freaked out.

"Chloe, don't worry. I can do… time stuff now. If something happens I'll just rewind time and then I'll know something can be wrong and you can be around to back me up," Max told her with a smile. Hopefully it would be that easy.

"Well, I really hope your powers can work that well then, Max," Chloe said, finishing up the last few of her fries. Max had finished half of her burger— she didn't feel like eating much more. Nerves were getting to her, and Chloe wasn't helping too much— even if she didn't mean to stress Max out.

"It'll be fine Chloe. I saved two lives in one day, I can handle this," Max said, her voice light to try and ease the tension in the car.

"Well then, you ready to go?" Chloe asked as she looked over at Max's half-eaten meal.

"Yeah, I'm… not that hungry. Seeing someone get shot kind of messes with your appetite, I guess," Max said with a sigh.

Chloe grimaced a little bit— it was a tense situation for both of them. While Chloe hadn't exactly had the best day, she could only imagine the type of day Max had.

"Well, let's go then, girl. You held your ground against Nathan Prescott, Victoria Chase won't be shit to you," Chloe said with a grin before pulling out of the parking lot to speed back to Blackwell.

The two remained mostly silent on the drive back. Chloe was more or less focused on the road, but also didn't know what to say at the moment, while Max kept reflecting back on the day she had. Could she have done anything different? Would it be any better if she did…? She knew she was probably in trouble with numerous people at Blackwell, but, well, there wasn't much she could do now.

She just had to believe she did the right thing.

The drive back to Blackwell was silent and forty-five minutes long, and the two of them arrived back on campus just after nine. As Chloe slowed to a stop, Max gathered her things and got out of the truck. Before Chloe left, she lowered the window.

"Hey, I'll park nearby in case you need back up. You can just send any text or call me and I'll run over as soon as I can and help you out," Chloe said.

"Don't worry, we're just going to talk. I won't start anything and she probably won't either," Max assured her with a smile— used both to help Chloe feel better and make herself feel better.

"Max, you're a good person. Victoria Chase isn't. I don't want her fucking with you. I'm just warning you to be careful around her. Don't let your guard down," Chloe warned. Max nodded slowly and silently.

"I'll let you know how it goes. And if you don't hear back from me like, a half hour after eleven, you can go, since I'm probably fine," Max told her after a few seconds, before waving goodbye and turning around to walk off. Chloe drove off slowly, and now, if her brain wasn't racing already, it really was now.

" _You can do this, Max. You can do this. You told off David Madsen and defended Kate, you fought off Nathan Prescott, you saved TWO lives today. You can do this. Nothing will go wrong,"_ she thought to herself as she began a quiet walk to the dorms. Technically she shouldn't have been out there at this time of night— but David was already back at the Price home, so Max figured she didn't have too much to worry about.

She just hoped David wouldn't give Chloe any more shit when Chloe got back home.

When she walked inside the girl's dorms, she looked around— no one was in the halls. People were probably up, there was no doubt about that, but at least everyone was in their rooms. Maybe it would make for a simple, calm night then. Max went back into her room and set her alarm for 10:55, so that way she could get a tiny bit of sleep before seeing Victoria.

As she made her way to her desk, she laid her head down and shut her eyes, setting the phone next to her.

 _ **Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.**_

The vibrations jerked max awake. She rubbed her eyes and stuffed her phone in her pocket.

"Well, better head over. Everything will be fine, Max. Victoria may be rude… but she's probably not dangerous. She's not dangerous. Chloe is just nervous… just like you," she said with a gulp before heading outside of her room. The dorms were now quieter than they were before, and Max tiptoed over to Victoria's room, knocking on the door as quietly as she could.

"Psst! Victoria, it's Max," she whispered, and the door creaked open slowly after. She could see Victoria, dressed in a simple white tank top and some silk pajama pants. Just like with everything else that Victoria Chase owned, they fit her perfectly: expensive and looked great on her.

Looked great, that's what Max meant.

"Hurry up and come in— and try not to be too loud to wake anyone else," Victoria told her in a rushed voice. Though it wasn't angry or mad… it was more… panicked?

When Max walked in, Victoria shut— and locked (boy, that didn't help in calming Max down) behind her and then—

—hugged her?

It wasn't just a quick hug, it was a FULL hug.

Victoria Chase had wrapped her arms around Max Caulfield and buried her face into her shoulder.

Was she… sobbing?

It was quiet, but she was definitely sobbing.

Max had no clue what to do— she was taken aback. What would ANYONE at Blackwell do if they were in this close proximity with Victoria and it wasn't with her screaming in their face?

And why was she sobbing?

Before Max could do anything— she was still too confused— Victoria pulled away.

And for some reason, even though Victoria was still sobbing, Max wanted to rewind.

" _I… I didn't even hug her or anything. And she's really hurting. I can just go back and hug her and it'll be no big deal. And at least now I know she doesn't want to hurt me…"_ Max thought before stretching out her hand and rewinding time, watching as Victoria had her arms around her again, stopping just as Max had entered the room.

And just like before, Victoria closed and locked the door, and then pulled Max in for a tight hug, sobbing into her shoulder again. Only this time Max hugged her back, just as tightly as Victoria hugged her.

As bad as it probably sounded, seeing as how much Victoria seemed to be hurting, the hug was…

Nice?

The hug felt… surprisingly warm, and nice.

Today had been confusing for Max, but this hug with Victoria Chase was the most confusing thing that happened today— if not in the entire school year so far.

"Victoria… is everything ok?" Max asked after Victoria pulled away, sniffling and wiping her eyes again.

"I— yeah— I just—" Victoria stuttered out. This was the first time Max had seen Victoria stumble over her words like this. In class she was always so fluent— even her French was well-spoken. She was sobbing and miserable and, honestly, Max was scared. At this point it didn't even seem like Victoria would— or could hurt her, but she seemed in pain.

"Victoria… what's wrong?" Max asked. Victoria moved over to her rather nice couch she kept in her dorm room— figured that Victoria Chase would have a couch nicer in her dorm room than her own parents had back at their house. As Victoria lightly patted onto the couch next to her, Max sat down, silently.

"Thank you," Victoria whispered, before starting to cry again, burying her head in her hands.

"T-Thanks? F-for what?" Max asked. There was no way Victoria knew about—

"I saw you earlier… in the bathroom. You were hiding behind that stall— you pulled the fire alarm. You… you saved my life," Victoria said, her voice shaking as much as she was.

"You saw," Max whispered, looking down.

"Of course. I just… after how I've treated you, I didn't know you would actually do this for me. Why?" Victoria asked, and Max felt almost taken aback.

"Because you don't deserve to die, no matter what you do. You can be rude in class at times— and you are rude to me and Kate a lot, but I would never want you to die because of it," Max told her. Victoria stayed quiet for a minute, almost as if she was taking it in, then nodded slowly.

"Well… thanks, Max. That means a lot to me. I'm… I'm not even sure Courtney or Taylor would have risked their lives like that for me. And here I treat you like shit on a daily basis and you didn't care. You're… you're a good person, Max," Victoria said, smiling weakly at Max.

"Thanks… I know you're kind of mean at times, Victoria, but… but I like to believe you're a good person, too," Max told her. Though apparently Victoria didn't get along with Rachel and Chloe, Max wanted— needed to believe that despite her ice queen exterior, Victoria was good, or at least decent on the inside.

"Thanks," was all Victoria could say.

"So… so that's why you let me through today, wasn't it? You saw that I pulled the fire alarm," Max said, connecting the dots.

"Yeah. I mean, I know I have my rep but, well, you saved my life. I wasn't going to put you through more shit," Victoria started, and Max couldn't help but smile a bit. Maybe there was hope for her being a good person after all.

"…Plus, well, nearly getting shot really doesn't make me want to be a complete bitch to someone, who would have thought," Victoria continued with a sigh.

"Honestly, after seeing you get shot, I've barely been able to—" Max started before gasping.

 _Shit._

She said it. She didn't mean to, but she said it.

"Shot? Max… Max what do you mean by shot?" Victoria asked. She wasn't angry— just… panicked. And honestly, that was completely reasonable.

She told Chloe about everything earlier, would she be able to tell Victoria too? At the least, Chloe was her best friend, which made it actually possible to tell everything that had happened today. At best Victoria Chase and Max Caulfield were rivals, and at worst, outright enemies.

But she already said the word: shot.

" _Good job Max. You're on a roll today. If she doesn't believe me, I can always maybe even back up at least,"_ she thought, before taking a deep breath.

"Victoria, I'm going to say something that's unbelievable, but you have to believe me, please. You can't freak out— just know I'm telling the truth," Max said. She really hoped that Victoria would believe her.

"Go on…" Victoria mumbled, a confused look on her face.

"Earlier today, I was in the bathroom at school, and I saw you got shot. You died. And then I… I somehow managed to rewind time and I knew that you were in danger so I was able to save you," Max explained, her voice clearly shaky and nervous. Victoria, on the other hand, widened her eyes and moved back a bit.

"I know it sounds really unbelievable but you have to believe me—" she started, but Victoria was ready to tear in, even if she had to do it quietly.

"What the _fuck_ are you saying, Maxine Caulfield? Are you fucking with me? After everything that's happened? What the actual fuck is wrong with you, hipster?" she asked, mere seconds away from outright screaming at Max. Max recoiled away— this didn't go as well as she thought.

"Victoria— Victoria please you have to believe me—" Max tried to reason. It wasn't going well. Victoria Chase was back in Victoria Chase mode. Tears of sadness were quickly replaced by tears of sheer anger.

"Why should I believe you? How could anyone believe you? Rewind time? What the fuck, Max?" she asked.

"Please… I wouldn't lie, I promise," Max pleaded.

"You get how unbelievable this is, don't you?" Victoria asked, now crossing her arms. Shit. Shit shit shit!

"Wait, I have an idea!" Max said, as a light bulb clicked in her head.

Max got up and took a piece of paper from Victoria's printer and a pen before traipsing back over and handing them to Victoria.

"Ok, write something, anything. Write what you're thinking, I dunno. Just… write it, and fold it up, and hand it to me, and then you'll see," Max said.

"Just… write something?" Victoria asked, and Max nodded. Victoria quirked an eyebrow before holding the paper up to her, clearly thinking for a moment before scribbling something down, folding it up, and then handing it to Max, clearly a bit frustrated.

"Ok… now what?" Victoria asked, handing the folded up paper to Max.

"Just wait a second," Max said, reaching her hand out and rewinding time, just briefly.

Max moved time back to just before Victoria was going to write down whatever it was she wrote down, the paper still in her hand. This paper, whatever was written on it, would be the key to getting Victoria to help her— maybe even on her side in this whole shitty, potentially apocalyptic situation?

"Just… write somethi— whoa, wait, what is that!?" Victoria asked, quickly grabbing the paper from Max's hand and opening it up, looking over it, her eyes going wide and her jaw dropping.

"How did you get this?" Victoria asked, almost… panicked? "Did you read this?" Victoria asked, and Max shook her head quickly.

"No no, I'm just— this is how I was going to prove to you how I can rewind time. You believe me now, right?" Max asked, glancing between the paper Victoria was still holding and Victoria herself.

" _What does that even say? What did she write that would make her so nervous of the idea of me seeing?"_ Max couldn't help but think to herself. This was a really confusing, unexpected encounter.

"…I have no choice but to believe you, Caulfield. That was… that was exactly what I was going to write. But… why? Why do you have… bizarre time powers? Just to save me from Nathan Prescott?" Victoria asked, cautiously setting the paper down on her little coffee table, both of their eyes glancing down to the still folded up paper before back at each other.

"Speaking of him… why was he so aggro on you in the bathroom?" Max asked. That was the big question on her mind. Nathan Prescott was dangerous, Max could have already guessed that, but now he was dangerous with a GUN. That was a whole other level.

"Honestly, I don't know. Nathan is scary— we haven't even talked since what happened this afternoon," Victoria told her.

"But aren't you two like, best friends in the Vortex Club? Don't you two run it together basically?' Max asked. The Vortex Club was an absolute mystery to an outsider like Max Caulfield, but she knew people like Victoria and Nathan were the two at the top.

"He basically runs it. You know, rich boy who doesn't listen to the rules runs a club where he gets to do whatever the fuck he wants with no consequence? And now, after today… I'm probably fucked," Victoria said with a small laugh, one that left Max feeling really uneasy.

"And you're… ok with that?" Max asked.

"Of course not. My entire Blackwell life has been about being the baddest bitch… now Nathan is just going to turn it so I'm just… a bitch," Victoria said with a sigh, looking down, almost… dejected.

"Victoria… I know you can handle yourself, you're one of the baddest girls I know. But, if you ever need help defending yourself from Nathan or any of the Vortex Club bullies, let me know. I'll help you out," Max offered with a wide smile, hoping it would help Victoria feel better. Victoria… gave a small smile back.

"Maybe we can be friends after all, Maxine. If you need any help, I'll do what I can. Though… probably at this point, only if Courtney or Taylor give you any shit. If they do, I'll tell them off though," Victoria offered, still with that small, cute smile on her face.

Cute?

Though Max was now starting to think that maybe Victoria didn't have so much power around Blackwell, and that was a scary thought.

"Thanks, Victoria. And it's Max, never Maxine," she told her. Max was never quite sure why her mom named her Maxine— the name was so… not her. Max was a much better fit.

"Ok, Max. Though… now that I know about the Nathan stuff… if I'm going to trust you, I want you to tell me about everything else with all this time rewind-y stuff, ok?" Victoria asked.

Though, this had Max nervous, was Victoria in some sort of long con against her? Was she just going to go back to Nathan and then Nathan would… probably shoot her?

"I can trust you, right?" Max asked simply, though her voice was barely able to utter out more than a whisper. She was scared.

"You can trust me," Victoria said.

"Promise."

Max took in a deep breath. For better or worse, the two were… sort of friends to some degree now. And just like how Max knew she had to work her way back to deserving Chloe's trust and friendship, Max knew she'd have to trust Victoria, however long that would take.

"Well, I told you about the main thing— saving you. After I first rewound time, I tried to tell you about the bathroom being closed, but you didn't believe me— so I rewound time AGAIN and just ran in there to make sure you were going to be ok," Max started, Victoria nodding silently.

"Then after the two of you left the bathroom, I told Principal Wells about how Nathan held you up with a gun," Max added.

"You— what? Max, why would you do that?" Victoria asked, clearly in disbelief that Max would do something so stupid. Chloe had the exact same reaction.

"I thought he would believe me. He… didn't, though. He said how good of friends you two were and how distinguished he was," Max said with a sigh, that was one big fuck up from today.

"Obviously— and as soon as Nathan finds out about you saying that, he'll—" Victoria started, but unluckily for Max, she already had a response.

"He found out, trust me. He came and just about attacked me and Warren in the parking lot, and my friend Chloe nearly hit us with her truck and saved me just in time," Max said with a sigh.

"Chloe? You mean Rachel's girlfriend?" Victoria asked, quirking an eyebrow, and Max's eyes widened.

"You know Chloe?" Max asked.

"She used to go here, she got expelled a bit back. Her and Rachel Amber were everywhere together. Admittedly, I didn't really like either of them much, but if Chloe is your best friend then… I'll try not to talk too much shit about her— or Rachel. Keyword try," Victoria said. Even if it wasn't much, it would at least be a start, and maybe Chloe would appreciate that?

"Thanks. Well, I told Chloe about everything that happened today. Apparently she was supposed to meet Nathan today, but she went to smoke and you went in and… well, you know how that went," Max said, and Victoria's eyes wandered to her lap. Woops, it would probably be best not to bring that up too much in the future.

"And I had a vision of seeing a tornado wiping out Arcadia Bay this Friday… so there's that," Max said. Shit, the odds were really stacked against her, it seemed. And not in the usual 'I didn't do any of my homework or projects until the last minute' sort of way.

"So the town is going to be destroyed?" Victoria asked. "Honestly… if I didn't know about your time travel stuff… if I didn't believe it, then I'd say that you were just fucking with me. I can't not believe you now, though," Victoria said, and Max grimaced.

"I know it sounds like a bad situation… and it is, but with me, and Chloe's help, and your help— i-if you want— we can stop whatever might happen, I know it," Max said as optimistically as possible.

"I'm having a bit of trouble believing that… but, whatever you need, I'll do my best to help… however I can. I know how I may come off, but we're sort of friends now and as much of a bore as I may think Arcadia Bay is, I don't want to see it destroyed either," Victoria offered, and Max let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Max said, smiling just as the blond did.

"Looks like we're going to have a lot of work, huh, partner?" Victoria asked with her usual, characteristic smirk.

"Y-Yeah, we are… but, um… what did you write on that paper that made you so… flustered?" Max asked, looking over at the paper.

"I-It's none of your business," Victoria said, quickly grabbing the note before Max could grab it.

…It was definitely an invasion of privacy, but Max was kind of, ok, VERY nosy. But she could rewind time, it wouldn't be that much of a problem if she just took a quick peek, would it?

Max quickly rewound time to just before Victoria grabbed the note, and snagged it for herself.

"Sorry Victoria, I'll rewind time right after this, I promise, I just really want to see what this—" Max started, unfolding the paper and looking at it. Victoria was now bright red and biting her lip, clearly holding back a scream.

 _I hate how much of a fucking cute hipster Maxine Caulfield is._

"—Says," Max continued, her jaw dropped.

Victoria Chase, who was easily the most fabulous, glamorous girl at Blackwell Academy, thought Max Caulfield was cute!?

Was she dreaming right now?

She needed to go back— she should have gone back in time… but she almost… didn't want to?

"Do you… do you mean this, Victoria?" Max asked, and Victoria turned away, her face bright red. Max had never seen Victoria flustered or embarrassed like this— and over HER.

Victoria continued to stay silent, which made Max all the more curious and nervous.

There was no way this was true, this was all some joke, right? And Victoria just never expected Max to look.

"Yes," came out a small squeak— from Victoria Chase, no less.

Max now was as red as Victoria, she didn't know what to say.

"You… no, there's no way you mean that. You're cool and fashionable and I'm… just waif hipster bullshit," Max said, in disbelief. It was something that Victoria had called Max a handful of times since the two first met at move-in day. Max knew she was a hipster, but the way Victoria had said it was, well, harsh.

The air remained tense as both of them remained silent. Max was waiting for Victoria to say something, anything, while Victoria was still staring down at her lap in silence.

"I like waif hipster bullshit," Victoria whispered, looking up at Max finally, hands clasped in her lap, clearly nervous about all of this, even Max could tell.

"But… why? I mean, you're… you're Victoria Chase. You're the coolest girl at Blackwell… probably even Arcadia Bay— no— Oregon. Why me? You could… you could date anyone you want," Max said, tripping over her words. This was all too much for her— but she couldn't bring herself to rewind. The knowledge would still be in her head and would probably eat her up even more.

"I… I dunno, Max. I like you. It's something I can't really explain, I guess. You're— you're a good photographer, as much as I've given you shit. You're actually on my level with what you know. And… like I said, I like waif hipster bullshit. You pull it off well," Victoria said, offering a small smile. She was still bright red, but she seemed more… comfortable?

"So, you like me? Like, this isn't some big Vortex Club trick you're pulling on me? Nathan isn't going to come out and shoot me now, is he? You're not gonna dump a bunch of water on my head?" Max asked. She _wanted_ to trust Victoria, but with how convoluted things were getting, she was having a bit of trouble.

"I promise Max, I promise," Victoria said, pausing a moment before she continued, "Can I… you don't mind if I sit closer, do you?" she asked, biting her lip nervously.

"G-Go ahead," Max stuttered out.

" _There is NO way this is happening. Victoria Chase… has a crush on you, Max! Do… do I like her too?"_ she thought as Victoria scooted closer and closer. She felt her body just about burning up as Victoria was now right next to her.

"Do you, um… how do you feel about me, Max?" Victoria asked, looking into Max's eyes almost expectantly. Max had no clue what to say. She had no clue how she felt about people romantically, let alone Victoria Chase.

"Well, you're… you're really gorgeous… and… and I don't know if I like girls in that way, but… but you're really pretty and… and cool… and…" Max rambled, probably not sounding too great right now.

"Am I scaring you, Max?" Victoria asked, tilting her head curiously. At least Victoria wasn't forcing herself on her, which was a relief.

"You're not scaring me. I don't know if I'm scared, just… confused. I-I don't really know what to think about any of this. I might like you? I don't… I don't know. Last year I thought I liked skater guys and… lately I haven't been so sure," Max said with a sigh.

Even discounting her time powers, figuring out who she was was… well, tough.

"Can we… Can we hold hands? Would you mind?" Max asked, looking up at Victoria. Victoria said nothing, instead sliding her hand into Max's and lightly grasping it, Max doing the same after.

It felt… it felt like when her hand was in Chloe's earlier. It felt warm, nice.

It felt _right_.

At this point, Max had no clue what time it was, or, after a while, how long the two of them held hands in silence.

It still felt right. There was just something about holding a girl's hand that Max just, well, loved.

"Maybe I'm not into skater boys after all…" Max whispered to herself with a small sigh. She had no clue if Victoria could hear, and didn't even care.

After a few more minutes, Max finally spoke up.

"You'll be on my side through this week, right?"

"You can trust me, Max. I promise."


	6. Caring Too Much

**Sorry for the delay on this one, been way too busy and haven't had a chance to write. This will be the last Episode 1-centric chapter, and there might be a bit of a delay as I decide how to tackle Episode 2 and what direction to take it in, but I'm hoping it'll be good. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chloe sighed when Max got out of the car. She didn't have a good feeling about any of this. Victoria Chase was not one to be trusted. She was not one to be negotiated or talked with, especially in a one-on-one setting. She opted to pull into the parking lot at Blackwell, where she had managed to find Max earlier that day, and parked, grumbling over the fact that she didn't have any cigarettes. She occasionally smoked from stress, and this was one of those times.

"Just… Just don't fucking get hurt, Max," she mumbled, sighing after. Max Caulfield was a sweet little pixie, she couldn't go toe to to against Victoria Chase! Sure, she managed to get out unscathed and even scratch Nathan up a bit, but that was a one time thing. Nathan had a gun, he clearly meant business. Sure, Chloe had a gun now, but she couldn't be around Max all the time, there was no way she would be able to keep her safe constantly. She couldn't even keep Rachel safe.

Fuck.

She took out her phone and set it on the dash, after turning the ringer up all the way so she would be sure to not miss a call or a text. It was only 9:30 right now, so Chloe still had two hours to wait before she figured Max would be safe, but she'd wait. God damnit, this was such a poorly thought out plan. Max should have brought her in as backup so she could pop a cap in that rich ass of Victoria's.

"FUCK!" she screamed, kicking the dash of her car, nearly hitting the horn with her foot. She was angry. Angry at everything. David Madsen for threatening her best friend and hitting her, her mom for marrying that piece of shit, Rachel for being gone, Nathan and Victoria for being complete pieces of human garbage, and Max for trying to negotiate with one of those pieces of human garbage.

 _"Come on Chloe, you don't hate Max. You don't hate Rachel by any means… And you don't hate Joyce… yeah, you don't. Not that much. You're just upset about this whole Victoria shit, but things will be fine. Things will be fine,"_ she thought, letting out another sigh.

It was a long, long ass wait until 11:30, and even after that point, Chloe still waited a little bit more. Now she was gripping her phone, staring at it intently. Ten minutes later, and nothing. No text from Max. No call for help… nothing.

"Well, that leaves two things. Either she's dead, or she rewound time and isn't going to meet her," Chloe said to herself with a sigh, before tossing her phone on the passenger seat. The idea of Victoria and Max having a friendly conversation? As fucking if. But at this point, Max was probably fine. Probably. She had crazy ass time powers. It would be fine.

But now, Chloe needed to head home. It was nearing on midnight, and would be well after midnight once she actually managed to get home. And step-ass would rage like the hyper masculine asshole that he was. Though at this point, she had no real clue if she'd actually be able to get any sleep. Today was just too… too unbelievable.

By the time it was just after one, Chloe finally arrived back to the Price household. If her mom found her, she would be pissed. Joyce had a penchant for that, it seemed. She just had to hope they were both asleep. They had to be, it was super late.

She opened the door as quietly as she figured was humanly possible and closed and locked the door, also silently. There was no way that Joyce would've—

"Nice of you to come home in such a timely manner, Chloe."

—seen her.

Shit.

"Oh, hey mom. How's it going?" she asked in her almost sarcastic, light tone. Hopefully she wouldn't be too mad.

"You're about two hours back too late. And I would really appreciate an explanation, if you don't mind," Joyce said, before heading over to the table in what was essentially a combination of the dining room/living room. It was really just a living room, but her parents always called it the dining room, for some ridiculous reason.

As Joyce walked to the table, Chloe had the bright idea of trying to sneak up the stairs. Maybe if she got to her room and "fell asleep" then Joyce wouldn't be too mad?

Big mistake.

"Young lady, you will come over to this table. Now," Joyce called out, just loud enough to sound stern and scary as hell, but also holding back, so as to not waken step-dick.

Chloe stopped on the second step, taking in a deep breath then letting out a sigh, before turning around, sullenly stomping over to the table, which caused a glare from Joyce— barely visible over the few lights she had turned on.

"Please don't stomp like that, David is trying to sleep," she tried to reason, but Chloe was having none of it. Fuck David. He was nothing but an asshole to her girlfriend, to her best friend, and to her best friend's friend. He had been dead set on ruining her life, what the hell did she owe him? She paused for a moment, standing in silence, before taking the next ten or fifteen steps to the table in the loudest stomps she could muster.

Fuck him.

Joyce glared at Chloe, but Chloe couldn't care less. She just wanted to go up to her room.

"So why were you gone so long?" Joyce asked as Chloe sat down. Chloe was looking off to the side, she didn't want to look at Joyce. Joyce wasn't going to push the issue— it would just cause a big argument, and the two were already mad enough.

"I was hanging out with Max," Chloe huffed, just wanting to be done with all this.

What she couldn't see however, was Joyce's eyes, now wide in surprise.

"Max? Max Caulfield? She's really back? Oh, Chloe, that's so great," Joyce said, a big smile on her face. Chloe, on the other hand, rolled her eyes.

"Your husband doesn't seem to think so, considering all the shit he's given her just today," Chloe told her, and Joyce shook her head.

"Chloe, I know you and David don't get along, but come on now, there's no reason for him to give Max any grief," Joyce said, trying to reason. Chloe just hoped that her mom would actually believe her. Though considering how lately she always chose him over her, it didn't seem too likely— she wasn't going to keep her hopes up.

"He flipped the fuck out over her having a joint and he fucking HIT her, Joyce," she said. Joyce's expression went from harsh— over Chloe calling her by her first name— to shocked.

"He… no, he didn't," Joyce said, narrowing her eyes at Chloe.

"He did. I wouldn't make shit up about him hitting Max," Chloe said sternly, arms crossed. If Joyce didn't want to believe her, that was her problem.

Joyce sat for a minute, tapping the table lightly, absentmindedly, before finally looking up at Chloe in silence.

"Well, I'm sorry Chloe, I… I didn't know. I'll make sure to keep an eye on David and what he does to you and to Max— and any of your other friends from now on," Joyce assured her. Chloe couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Thanks," was all she said, though. Although she was happy at the idea of Joyce cracking down on David, she wasn't going to show it.

"Now go on and get to bed before David gets up and gets mad. It's probably been a long day for you, what with seeing Max again and all. You could probably use some sleep," Joyce said, and again, Chloe had a small smile on her face. Maybe there was hope in her mom after all.

She silently walked up the stairs, the lights turning out behind her as Joyce followed, though Chloe walked into her room, for once not deciding to slam the door to piss off David. She was too tired anyways.

Changing into a plain black t-shirt, Chloe sat on her bed cross-legged, not ready to go to sleep yet. She could have fallen asleep at any moment, and honestly, she was ready to, but she had a few things to do.

She grabbed her phone and turned it on. Still nothing from Max. She let out a sigh before opting to send some texts.

 _"Hey Max, I hope everything is going well with Queen Bitch Victoria."_

 _"Let's get breakfast at the Two Whales tomorrow. My treat."_

 _"And you and me are going to find Rachel together. And stop whatever the fuck this tornado is. We're going to hella use your powers tomorrow."_

 _"Also if Victoria has any spare money lying around you should totally grab it."_

 _"Just sayin"_

 _"Anyways good night hope you're not dead"_

Those were her texts to Max, though she doubted the brunette would respond any time soon, but sending them at least set Chloe at ease. Max would know that Chloe wasn't mad about all this Victoria Chase shit— just a bit frustrated.

"Still can't believe she went through this… Max is really growing up," Chloe said, letting out a sigh and shaking her head, before chuckling a bit.

"I feel so old saying that shit."

Next up was a special text, one that she sent variations of every night, since April 22nd of this year.

For Rachel Amber.

She let out a sigh as she switched to the texts to Rachel, all of them filled with just texts from Chloe, for as long as she could scroll, not a single response from Rachel. She began typing away.

"Rachel, I miss you, and I love you. I hope I get to see you soon," she started, reading the text aloud as she typed it out on her phone. Just like every other one, for the past one hundred and sixty-eight days, she sat up in bed at night, to text Rachel something heartfelt. If Chloe fucked up, she sure as hell wasn't going to lose one of the best people in her life, she would make it up to Rachel. Whatever was wrong.

"I met up with my friend Max today, you'd love her, and she'd love you too. She's at Blackwell just like you were. You two are really alike and you'd get along great. I can't wait for you both to meet."

She took in a breath then bit her lip, preventing herself as best she could from crying. Chloe hated crying, it just reminded her of bad memories and it was a moment of weakness she hated to show, but she couldn't help it. Texting Rachel made her just about bawl. Silently, of course. She knew the shit she'd get from David had he seen her crying over her missing girlfriend. The one he hated.

"We're gonna find you soon. Max is gonna help me out. We'll find you, beat the shit out of whoever hurt you or made you go missing, and it'll be just like old times."

Almost through it Chloe, almost through it.

"And once you're back we're going down to Los Angeles ASAP. We're going to go to Hollywood and you'll be a fabulous, super hot model, and I'll have a fabulous, cool, super hot model girlfriend. Who I'm also the bodyguard for."

She cracked a small smile. It was always something they joked about— seeing as Chloe didn't want to be a model, and had no real clue what she would do for a job. And she sure as hell wasn't going to be a housewife.

"I love you Rachel, and I miss you. And I promise I'll find you soon. If you have your phone or anything, please, please let me know you're ok."

Send.

It was a long message, but all of them were. Normally Chloe sent very short messages usually full of bad grammar and abbreviations, but the stuff to Rachel was always special.

"I better hear back from you soon," Chloe said under her breath, letting out a sigh as she collapsed onto her pillow, arms and legs spread out, staring at the ceiling. God, today was exhausting. Honestly? She didn't know what to think. Max saved her life, saved two lives, and she met up with her again after five fucking years, no less.

Nathan was even more dangerous than she thought, and Max had time powers? And a tornado was going to wipe out Arcadia Bay? Shit. Oh, and step-douche was an asshole, but that was the only thing that wasn't new.

She didn't know what to think. She half expected to fall asleep and then wake up that morning, all of this having been a dream. Part of her hoped that she would wake up the day before Rachel went missing, and that this was just one extremely long nightmare.

Part of her hoped that it wasn't.

She set the volume low on her phone and turned to the music library of it. Santa Monica Dream. It was a song that Chloe, admittedly, kind of hated at first. But Rachel loved it and from her wanting to play it so much, it grew on her, a lot. And ever since Rachel had been missing, she started to play it— it helped her think about her girlfriend.

Now that the song was on repeat she set it next to her and closed her eyes.

"We're going to find you Rachel, I promise," she mumbled, underneath her breath, during her last moments of being awake.

This was gonna be a hella scary week.


	7. More Questions Than Answers

**[Trigger/Content Warning for Rape/Sexual Assault]**

 **Sorry for the delay, but I've been replaying through Life is Strange a lot, and with episode 4, figuring out how to format these next many chapters. I have ideas in my head for how things will go, but we'll have to see. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I had a burst of inspiration and got through it all in a relatively quick manner once I sat down and started to really get to work on it. Once again, there is a trigger warning for rape and sexual assault for this chapter, towards the end, and I would love to hear any and all thoughts/feedback. I love and appreciate reviews!**

* * *

It was about five thirty in the morning when Max slowly started to wake up. Both her in Victoria had fallen asleep in her bed about a half hour after holding hands in an almost awkward silence. So Max was definitely surprised to realize that she woke up where she did.

" _So that wasn't a dream… Victoria really does like me? And we… we slept together? Like, just fell asleep, but still…"_ she thought, being pulled from her thoughts as Victoria sat down next to her, setting her fingers on Max's lightly.

"Good morning, Max. I, uh— sorry we couldn't sleep in. Normally around this time I'm getting ready for my morning run. And, well, maybe it could be better if you aren't seen coming out of my room in the morning," Victoria said, letting out a sigh.

Was she embarrassed of her? Honestly… it wouldn't be tough to be embarrassed of Max Caulfield, especially if you were someone as cool as Victoria Chase, but even the thought of it, whether it was true or not, kind of hurt. But she couldn't muster up the strength to bring it up to Victoria. She seemed happy about things. She was smiling and humming once she had gotten up and… and she couldn't stop seeing that. It would hurt too much.

Max reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. Nothing from Kate or Warren, but a lot from Chloe. She opened her phone while Victoria was tidying her desk up and collecting her papers for class today.

How was she so organized and put together, even now? Even after what had happened last night, Max would have been hard pressed to say that she wasn't. Though now was the time to see what Chloe was up to.

" _Hey Max, I hope everything is going well with Queen Bitch Victoria."_

" _Let's get breakfast at the Two Whales tomorrow. My treat."_

" _And you and me are going to find Rachel together. And stop whatever the fuck this tornado is. We're going to hella use your powers tomorrow."_

" _Also if Victoria has any spare money lying around you should totally grab it."_

" _Just sayin"_

" _Anyways good night hope you're not dead"_

Max couldn't help but smile. Sure, there ended up being no reason for Chloe to be so nervous about Victoria, but she really did care.

"What's up, Max?" Victoria asked. Almost as if they were some couple just catching up on each other's day. It was odd, but nice. Almost… soothing?

"Oh, just Chloe. She, uh, she wanted to make sure everything was going to be ok. You know, with me coming to see you last night?" she said, a bit afraid to look at Victoria's face. It would probably hurt her feelings even just saying that.

"Well, you can let her know about how everything is ok now," Victoria said with a… a surprisingly sweet smile. To say this was unreal was an understatement.

"I will. I'm going to meet her at the Two Whales a bit later," Max said.

"I hope you both have fun… and you'll update me if anything big happens?" Victoria asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Of course! We're, uh, we're going to experiment with my powers today, to see what I can and can't really do. Even I don't know the extent of what I can actually do yet," Max said with a sigh. She could rewind time, but… but what limits did she even have?

"And are you both going to… you know, try and find out more about this tornado, and Rachel Amber, and everything?" Victoria asked, and Max nodded.

"As best we can, yeah. And I'll keep you up to date on everything, I promise," Max told her.

"Thanks. And if I hear anything on the Nathan situation, or the Vortex Club, or… anything, really, I'll update you," Victoria told her with a confident nod.

"That means a lot, Victoria, thanks. Maybe I should… maybe I should get going then? I don't want to delay you too long," Max said.

"It… probably wouldn't be good if Courtney or Taylor saw us together like this," Victoria said, letting out a small sigh.

Ouch. She had already said as such, but… fuck. It hurt. She had to ask about it, even if she'd regret it.

"Hey… Victoria?" Max asked, not yet getting up. Her legs felt like jelly, and honestly, if she brought this up and was standing she'd probably collapse under sheer stress.

"Yeah Max? What's up?" Victoria asked, walking over.

"Is everything ok? You look, you look worried. You have that face you always have on when you're nervous in Jefferson's class," she added. The concern set her at ease a bit, but Max was still nervous.

"I was just wondering, if, well… sorry, this is stupid," Max said, stumbling over her words.

"Come on Max, we're… we're close, you can bring up something with me and you don't have to be afraid," Victoria assured her, sitting down next to her and setting a hand on her shoulder assuringly.

Max took a deep breath.

"Are you embarrassed by me?" she asked, gulping nervously after. She was ready for Victoria to yell at her, or something. Even with how sweet Victoria was last night, Max was still nervous.

Victoria looked taken aback, hurt even.

"I— Max, no, I'm not. I'm just… I'm scared. It's pathetic, I know," Victoria said, staring down, letting out a sigh.

"I'm Victoria Chase, the big bad bitch of Blackwell, and I'm scared of you getting hurt. I'm scared of Courtney or Taylor or someone treating you like shit or you getting hurt because of me," Victoria said.

" _She cares, but she's acting like Spider-man or something. It is sweet though. She really does care about me. I don't think I have to worry about us now… at least I hope not,"_ she thought, a small smile forming on her face now.

"It was making me wonder though…" Victoria started, and Max quirked an eyebrow, feeling a knot in her stomach suddenly. Was everything ok or did she do something wrong now?

"W-What?" Max asked, her voice very obviously filled with worry.

"We can— we can always talk about it later, since, you know, things are going to be busy today, but I was just wondering how you'd feel about like, maybe… dating?" Victoria asked, and Max turned bright red, her eyes wide.

This was even more unbelievable than last night.

"D-Dating? You're… ok, now you're not serious," Max said, shaking her head in sheer disbelief, face still red. Even Victoria was more than a bit red now.

"I am Max, honest," she tried to assure her, scooting closer to Max, which just caused her to get more nervous, still.

"Victoria— that's— that's I can't even put it into words how I feel," Max started, swallowing hard again.

"I mean, no one's ever been interested in me like this before. You're the first, honestly. And I still think I'm trying to figure out whether I like guys or girls or maybe even both?" she started, and Victoria nodded slowly.

"I mean yeah I think girls are really pretty— you're definitely really pretty, and I thought I liked skater guys but maybe I like girls and just— sorry, I'm _really_ rambling right now," she said, sighing after. Victoria wrapped her arm around Max, which actually did a great job at comforting her right now.

"You're really adorable when you ramble, Max Caulfield," Victoria said, smiling, and Max turned bright red— again— and looked again.

"T-Thanks. But I just think… I think that's really amazing that you'd want to go out with a loser like me when you're probably the most popular, richest girl in Oregon. But, you even know now that a lot is happening now… and even more could be happening on Friday. And… and I think I not only need time to process all of this, but just some time to prepare myself. I don't think I can get ready for this tornado if we're cuddling in bed each night," she said, smiling and bright red at the thought of this.

And from Victoria's face, she had the same thoughts too.

"I'm really sorry Victoria, I am. I… I definitely like you, don't get me wrong. You're gorgeous and smart and actually really nice and sweet and you like me, it really is just me," Max said, trying to save face. Though at this point she had the feeling Victoria was going to ruin her.

Victoria stayed quiet for a moment, her arm still around Max, but looking down, deep in thought.

"Are you… Are you mad?" she asked. She had to know.

Victoria finally looked up and smiled at Max, shaking her head.

"What? Of course not. That's totally understandable. If you're not ready for a relationship, whether you're not sure of who you're attracted to— and all of this time travel tornado stuff probably is scary, I won't hate you for that. I just hope you don't mind that I'll still feel how I feel about you right now?" Victoria asked, and Max quickly shook her head.

"What? Of course not! Like I said, it really does mean a lot to me, but it's just a lot to have this thrown on me, especially during this week. If it was any other week it would be a lot better, but, well… yeah," Max said, trailing off. The tornado was constantly looming on her mind.

"That's great. That… that makes me feel a lot better, Max," Victoria said, letting out what was clearly a sigh of relief, even Max could tell.

"Victoria, I do think you're great, even before you told me this, believe me," Max assured her, and Victoria had to try to not turn red.

She failed.

It was really, really adorable when she blushed.

"Hey, Max? Do you think… maybe we could talk about… us tonight?" Victoria suggested, and Max's eyes widened.

"We could always order a pizza, have a nice little night in, and just… talk about us?" Victoria suggested, and Max nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. I'll text you later on today and I can always pick up the pizza. Just, no alcohol though, please?" Max asked and Victoria laughed. No, it was more of a giggle. It felt so odd to hear— but really nice.

"Ok, ok, no alcohol. I can always pick up some water or soda or something later on today. Or I can get one of my flunkies to do it," Victoria said with a grin. The idea of Courtney and Taylor picking stuff up for a date between her and Victoria was kind of hilarious.

"So… it's a date then?" Max asked awkwardly. She wasn't sure if it would be right to say the word "date" after sorta kinda turning her down to be girlfriends, but that's what it was going to be, right?

"It's a date," Victoria said, smiling before getting up yet again.

"Shit, we've been talking a long time, I'm sorry Victoria," Max said as she looked over at the clock next to the couch. It was just after six now, but it felt like no time passed at all.

"It's ok, but I definitely need to get going on my morning run— everyone else is probably gonna be up soon, and, well— sorry," Victoria said, embarrassed for bringing it up again.

"Victoria, it's ok. We're gonna have our night to figure this all out, ok?" Max asked, and Victoria nodded.

"Sounds great. I'll check outside to make sure no one is up yet and then you can go to your room quick," Victoria said.

"Got it."

Victoria peeked out of her room briefly, before looking in, back at Max.

"Ok, it's all clear, let's move," Victoria said, and the two quickly sped out of the posh dorm room and into the hallway. Max headed into the direction of her dorm, while Victoria was heading out of the dormitory building.

Max pulled out her phone, quick to send a text to Victoria.

" _Be safe on your run. We don't need anything bad happening to you."_

It wasn't even thirty seconds later when her phone buzzed, Max midway through her door.

" _I will don't u worry xo"_

XO? God, Victoria really liked her. It was sweet, but it was so much, so much that she wasn't used to.

" _See you later Maxoxo"_

It was a little thing she sent on occasion to close friends and family. It was sill, but she liked it, and so did Kate, and her family. She closed her door and sat down on her bed, hoping to get some more sleep before she'd get ready and meet Chloe over at the Two Whales. She could really go for some greasy diner food right about now.

After she set her head on the pillow, her phone buzzed one last time. It took a considerable amount of effort to look at it and not immediately fall asleep. It'd probably also be a good idea to set an alarm, else she wanted to sleep for the whole day. She set an alarm for 7:30, that would be just over an hour of sleep, then checked her texts.

" _U are such a dork I love it"_

Now bright red and feeling warm, Max closed her eyes softly to try and get a bit more sleep. She figured she wouldn't be getting a lot this week, so if she could get extra bits when she could, she would.

In what felt like— and was— no time at all, Max's phone was buzzing, time for her to get up. She rubbed her eyes groggily. She really, REALLY just wanted to go lie in bed all day, it felt so nice after all, but she couldn't.

Finally sitting up, she looked at her phone. More texts from Chloe.

" _Max you dead?"_

" _You didn't say anything I'm really worried"_

" _Come on if I'm up this early you should be up text back"_

It was nice to know that she had so many friends who cared about her: Chloe, Kate, Warren, and now Victoria. As much as Nathan Prescott and this tornado scared the hell out of her, she had backup, and that was going to count for a lot in what would be sure to be a hellish week.

Though right now it would probably be best to let Chloe know she wasn't dead in a ditch and text her back.

" _Chloe, don't worry, I'm fine."_

" _Thank god. She didn't try and hurt you did she?"_

" _No, everything is fine. I'll explain at the Two Whales. It's a long story."_

" _Ok well meet me there at 10 I'll treat you to breakfast"_

" _I'll see you soon"_

" _Today we are gonna take over the world"_

As… almost ominous as that sounded, Max knew Chloe. It was fun and in good faith.

And it would be good to know more about her powers— and Chloe would probably be the best person to help her figure it out.

But now, it was time to get clean for the day. She had a bit too much of a day yesterday, and had fallen asleep in her somewhat dirty, sweaty clothes— twice. Victoria probably thought she was gross, and the last thing she needed was Chloe to think that too.

…She was really worried about what girls thought of her, lately.

"I… I should probably change into my pajamas before I get into the shower. Last thing I need is anyone wondering why I'm in the same clothes from yesterday," Max said with a sigh. She had no clue about what Victoria had wanted to talk about before she saw her, but thinking back, it really would have been nice to have changed into her pajamas beforehand.

She was sad to waste her pajama shorts and shirt for what would be ten minutes but, well, better to waste some clothes than to get weird looks.

Not that weird looks at Blackwell were unusual for her, but still.

After she picked up her tiny bag of shower supplies and slipped on her flip flops she started to head out of her dorm room, the hall now bustling with a lot of people. Courtney and Taylor were at Victoria's dorm, talking with her, Juliet and Brooke were talking down the hall, and Dana was blaring music from her dorm, loudly, as was the usual for her.

Just another usual morning at Blackwell before class, really.

As Max started to walk to the showers, she and Victoria locked eyes, but just for a brief moment, before Max turned the corner to head into the communal bathroom, and Victoria went back to chewing out her flunkies.

And in the bathroom was none other than one of Max's best friends, Kate Marsh. She barely talked to her yesterday, especially after David Madsen gave her grief. Now would definitely be the best time to make sure she was doing ok. She walked over to her, shower supplies held close, and waved.

"Morning Kate, how are you?" Max asked, offering a smile.

Kate spit out her toothpaste then looked over at Max, shrugging.

"Um, I'm ok, I guess, I've been better though," she said, sounding… just as upset as yesterday. Something had to be wrong. Kate was normally a sweet, smiling bundle of sunshine and optimism. She wasn't… this.

"I do appreciate what you did for me yesterday with Mister Madsen. Thank you so much," she said, now smiling back, though only a little. Max was glad she could help Kate yesterday, she couldn't even imagine hanging back and letting David ream her out.

"Don't even mention it Kate. You're one of my best friends. That guy has a serious issue," Max said. There were far worse people for David to harass at Blackwell. Like Nathan Prescott.

"Everyone here does," Kate said, as if it was nothing.

That was… dark.

"By the way, do you have my copy of The October Country? I need to go over it some more before class today," Kate said.

Shit, she kept that book for way too long.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry I've had it for so long, I've just loved reading it and I haven't been able to put it down. Once I'm done getting ready I'll give it to you," Max said with a smile.

"Thank you Max, I'll be in my room once I'm done in here," Kate said and Max nodded, opting to get into the shower now.

She undressed and turned on the shower, when, as she was washing up, heard the door open.

"Hey Kate."

"How's it goin' girl? Make out with anyone today?"

Max peered through the little bit of space between the shower curtain and the shower wall, seeing none other than Victoria's minions: Courtney and Taylor.

Kate was just doing her best to brush her teeth, but with one girl on each side of her… things weren't looking good for her.

" _Ugh, if I wasn't in here I would give those two a piece of my mind,"_ Max thought, upset that she was stuck to just sitting back and having to watch Kate be abused by those Vortex Club jerks.

"Please, just leave me alone," Kate said, now staring down. It hurt Max to see Kate being treated like shit so much, especially when she couldn't do anything.

What were they talking about though?

"Come on Kate, lighten up," Taylor said, setting a hand on the sink she was standing next to.

"Yeah, it's so rad that you kissed all those boys at the Vortex Club party. Think you can give me some tips? I've never had that many guys all over me at once," Courtney added, her arms folded, and the most intense shit eating grin on her face.

Max had half a mind to punch her right then and there. And even if she was tempted as all hell to go out, beat the shit out of Courtney and Taylor, and then rewind, she held herself back.

She had to prove she was better than them. Kate was better than them, and Max could be too.

"You're— you're both going to be sorry someday," Kate finally mumbled as she started to run out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. As soon as Kate was gone, Courtney and Taylor burst into laughter.

"That little crybaby whore is just upset that she's finally getting shit," Taylor said, Courtney nodding after.

"God it was so hilarious seeing her at the party the other night just wasted out of her mind and all over everyone," Courtney added.

"Little church girl isn't so good after all, huh? Hey, how about we put up the link to that video Nathan took on the mirrors? That way everyone can see who Kate really is," Taylor suggested.

"Sounds so perfect and evil, Victoria will love it," Courtney said as the two girls each pulled out a tube of red lipstick and quickly scrawled something onto the mirrors before leaving.

As Max finished up her shower, she furrowed her brow.

" _Victoria… she couldn't really be trying to make Kate feel like shit, could she? I have to ask her. Even if she feels how she feels about me… and how I could feel about her… she's not allowed to treat my friends like shit,"_ Max thought, turning the shower off and putting the clothes she had on back on.

She stepped out of the shower with her stuff to see " " written on the mirrors.

"So that's where this video with Kate kissing a bunch of people is? No way, this is not staying up," Max said, quickly wetting a paper towel and wiping it off as best she could from each mirror, until there was nothing left but some red smudges.

She left the bathroom and quickly ran back to her room, grabbing her phone. She had to ask Victoria about this. Now.

" _Victoria. Courtney and Taylor were giving Kate shit about some video at a Vortex Club party. Do you know about this and can you tell them to please stop? Kate isn't doing that well."_

What she didn't notice until she looked up, however, was that a bunch of the stuff in her room, books, papers, CDs, were all tossed onto the middle of the floor, and on her bed… a picture of Max's head with the eyes crossed out and a goat's head?

What the _fuck!?_

"Nathan… he had to have done this. This has to be about me telling Principal Wells about him having a gun… Oh geez this isn't good," she said, gulping. If Nathan managed to get into her room, who knew what else he could do to her at this point. He could end up hurting her, or Chloe, or Kate, or Victoria. Shit. He had to be stopped immediately.

She started to clean up her room as her phone buzzed, something from Chloe or Victoria, no doubt. But that would have to wait while she cleaned up.

And that picture on her bed was incredibly worrisome, to say the least. It was like some sort of big warning for her life.

It took about five minutes to effectively put everything back into her drawers or on her desk— she didn't remember where exactly everything went and she didn't exactly have time to remember, so that would have to do. After getting dressed in her go-to t-shirt, jeans, and hoodie, she finally checked her phone.

Messages from both Chloe and Victoria. Chloe's first.

" _Hey Max I might be a little late but just get there asap and Joyce will treat you. See u soon"_

" _Awesome, looking forward to going back to the Two Whales \^^"_

" _Max. No. Emoji."_

" _;_;"_

" _NO EMOJI"_

Max couldn't help but laugh a bit. It was fun to get Chloe riled up a little bit, especially over something as simple as emojis.

Though now was Victoria's text. Hopefully she had something to say about what her friends were doing.

" _Hey Max I knew about the video I didn't know they were giving Kate shit I'm sorry"_

" _I know Kate is like one of your best friends and I'll figure out how to let them know what they did wasn't cool at all"_

" _I'm sorry"_

Max smiled. So it was Courtney and Taylor who were going rogue against their queen bee with stuff like this. Or, hopefully, Victoria wasn't just trying to save face. She wanted to believe Victoria, but at the same time, there was just some awful nagging feeling she had in the back of her mind.

" _You're honestly gonna tell Courtney and Taylor to stop harassing Kate? And you won't either?"_

" _Yes to both. I promise."_

" _Thanks, that means a lot."_

" _Still on for later?"_

" _Yeah, we're still on for later Victoria"_

" _See you then xo"_

Max smiled. Victoria kept on proving she had a heart, even with Max near constantly not being sure that was the case.

It made her feel warm and turn red— there was something about Victoria Chase.

" _See you later Victoria Maxoxo"_

Now that that was all settled, it was time to get Kate's book for her.

It was on her desk, the only thing besides her laptop that wasn't tossed or torn apart by Nathan. She held it close to her, now heading out of her dorm. Now was time to give Kate her book… and talk about whatever this video and Vortex Club party issue was.

She made sure to lock her room, checking the doorknob at least three times— last thing she needed was Nathan breaking in and ruining more of her stuff… or hiding in her room to kill her.

It was just across the hall to reach Kate's room and she knocked on the door.

"Kate? It's Max," she called out, standing there quietly as she waited for a response. She looked up and down the dorm hall— no one was around. Everyone was probably out for the day at this point. At least it meant that no one would be around to bother Kate.

"You can come in, Max," Kate called out, though Max was barely able to hear her through the door. She slowly turned the knob, and when she opened the door, she was surprised.

The room was dim, and Kate was hunched over her desk, not even turning to face Max. She had been in Kate's room only once before, and it was back when school was starting. Her room was bright and cheery and full of hope, just like she was, but now things were different. They were depressing.

Max slowly walked over, placing her hand lightly on Kate's shoulder.

"Hey Kate, I brought your book. How are you feeling?" she asked softly. It was time to be there for her, no matter what.

"Why did you confront Mister Madsen yesterday like you did?" she asked after a minute, which confused Max.

"Well, I don't like bullies, and he was being awful to you. I couldn't just stand by and let him treat you like that," Max said. She meant every word of it, but what did that have to do to with everything?

"I've been wondering… why was David so angry at you yesterday?" she added. Max knew she was nosy but this seemed like the type of situation where being nosy about her friend wasn't a bad thing at all.

"He thinks I'm a part of the Vortex Club. You know me Max, they are the last people I'd want to ever be associated with," Kate reasoned. Max knew that. People like Nathan, Courtney, and even Victoria, were polar opposites of someone like Kate.

"Because of that party? I heard Courtney and Taylor talking about it… can I ask what happened?" Max asked. She was curious… but part of her almost didn't want to know what had happened.

"Last Friday night I had nothing to do, so against my absolute better judgment, I went to a Vortex Club party. It was a huge mistake. I… I ended up making out with a ton of people there, Max. And I don't even remember it," Kate said, her voice wavering nervously.

"This is… it's so humiliating for me," she added. She seemed so broken up, almost near tears, even.

"This really doesn't sound like something you would do Kate," Max said, frowning. Kate was probably one of the best people Max knew, not just at Blackwell, but in general. This isn't something she would do. Something was definitely up.

"I know Max, ok? I know this isn't something I'd ever do. I know," Kate bit back, angry by this. And honestly, Max didn't blame her.

"Kate, I'm not being mean or anything, I agree with you. I definitely feel like something is up… if that makes sense. You don't mind telling me any more, do you?" Max asked.

First a giant, town destroying tornado, then the mystery of Rachel Amber's disappearance, and now whatever happened to Kate at this Vortex Club party? What the hell was happening in Arcadia Bay?

"Sorry Max, I'm just— I'm just on edge. I— I had one quick sip of red wine and then I had water for the rest of the night," Kate assured Max, and Max nodded.

"Something really seems up then, Kate," Max mused quietly. But what exactly happened?

"I've drank wine before at church and something like this hasn't happened. I'm really scared Max. That video is out and I don't even remember doing ANY of that," Kate said, biting her lip.

"W-What else happened Kate? There has to be something else you remember before… before that all happened," Max said.

"I ended up getting sick and really dizzy at a point. So Nathan— you know, Nathan Prescott— he offered to take me to the hospital. Not long after I started not feeling well he came over to me and said he would take me to the hospital and I said ok," Kate explained, and Max's eyes widened, understandably so.

Nathan!?

"You… You didn't go with him, did you? Kate, please tell me you didn't go with him Kate, please," Max begged. Though she had a feeling she already knew the answer to that.

"Of course I went with him. Max, I felt like I was going to d _ie_ that night. I had nothing else to do and no one else to go to," she explained, and Max grimaced. If she had known Kate was in that much trouble she would have helped in a heartbeat, but she didn't even hear from Kate.

She must really have felt sick.

And as much as Max didn't want to know what happened next, she had to know.

"Do you… do you remember anything after?"

"I… we drove for a while, and I was fading in and out of consciousness a bit. I… I woke up somewhere that was white and really, really bright. At the time I figured it must have been a hospital but I'm not so sure now."

"I heard a really soft voice that I couldn't entirely recognize, so I figured… I figured it must have been a doctor. But, but then I heard Nathan, and I felt a needle stick into my neck… it had to have been. It was something sharp, and it really, really stung. And… that's all I remember," Kate explained, near tears at this point. Even Max was nearly in tears.

Though they were tears of hot anger.

"I… Kate I'm speechless. I'm so sorry. I— words can't express how upset I am that someone would do something like this to you," Max said. She had half a mind to tear him apart right now.

…Did Victoria know about this?

"Do… do you think Nathan… did something to me? I don't even want to say it, but… do you think something happened to me that night?" Kate asked, and Max gulped.

What was she supposed to say?

"Kate, Nathan is dangerous… he's really dangerous. I don't really put it past him to have harmed you at all that night. I really hope he didn't but it could have happened, especially with what you said," Max said slowly.

Her best friend was drugged and maybe raped? Max felt sick— she couldn't even imagine how Kate felt. Fuck.

Kate stayed quiet, obviously deep in thought, and Max didn't know what to say at this point. All she could imagine doing was crying or screaming in anger. Or both.

Instead she nearly fell over and hugged Kate tight. Kate was a bit surprised, but hugged back, finally crying. The two held onto each other in silence for about a minute, before letting go, each wiping tears from their eyes.

It was some sort of silent realization of the gravity of what happened— what may or may not have happened, but what both girls were now accepting as what did happen until they found out otherwise.

Finally, Kate spoke up.

"Should I go to the police, Max? D-Do you think I should? I've thought about it a few times but I haven't really been sure if I should or not," Kate said, wringing her hands together.

Shit.

Max knew the Prescotts were a powerful family in Arcadia Bay, and that this kind of situation never benefited the victim. But those wer the LAST things Kate needed to hear right now.

As much as she didn't want to risk getting hurt— or killed— by Nathan, or for it to happen to Kate, Max knew she had to do whatever she could to help her friend.

She was given these powers, she wasn't going to squander them. She would help Kate get justice no matter what.

"Kate, I'll do my best to find any and all information I can to help you incriminate Nathan," she started, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"You go to the police, but say nothing to anyone at all besides the officers you talk to. If Nathan finds out about this he may hurt you, and I don't want that happens. If he thinks something could happen, I'll take the heat for it. I don't want anything to happen to you," Max told her.

Kate nearly burst into tears again at what Max had said, and leapt into a hug.

"Oh Max, you're so wonderful, thank you so much, thank you thank you thank you," she said in between sobs.

"Kate, it's nothing. You're one of my best friends, I'm more than happy to help you any way I can. And we will bring Nathan Prescott to justice, I promise. I'm on your side," she told her friend, hugging back.

There was the chance that this could go incredibly awry incredibly quickly, but Max didn't care.

She saved Victoria.

By proxy she saved Chloe.

And she would do the same for Kate in a heartbeat. Even if everything happened last Friday, she'd make it up to her.

Nathan Prescott and the Vortex Club were both terrifying and dangerous, but they would be stopped.

This week… was already turning out to be far more dangerous than she would have ever imagined.


	8. Back to Your Roots

**Trigger Warning for mentions of rape/sexual assault throughout the chapter. Really enjoyed writing this chapter, even if it's very transitional in terms of being a focus of moving from one place to the next. Also, writing the texts between Victoria and Max is probably one of my favorite things to do for this fic. I could probably write an entire chapter out of it. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

After giving Kate her book for class and assuring her over and over that things would be ok, that they would get justice, that Nathan did nothing to her, she left her dorm room, nearly crumpling into a pile on the floor, instead falling against the wall, using it to keep her standing. Her conversation with Kate felt absolutely exhausting.

Max was way too nervous about it, way too on edge now, because she had no clue if those things were true. The Prescott family was probably the most powerful family in Oregon, if not the whole Pacific Northwest. It was four girls against a multi-billion dollar family… the odds were stacked against them, to say the least. But Victoria almost died, Chloe could have died, and something happened to Kate— so something had to be done about all of this. No matter what. She weakly walked over to Victoria's room, just one door over, and knocked on it.

Nothing.

Fuck.

She was probably off with Courtney and Taylor, hopefully chewing their asses out for how they treated Kate.

…Hopefully Nathan wasn't chewing her out for yesterday.

She pulled out her phone to text Victoria. With how things were suddenly and scarily ramping up at Blackwell, she was afraid of losing her new friend. Of losing the girl who set her emotions and feelings on a terrifying but intriguing roller coaster that she wanted more of.

 _"Victoria, where are you? Is everything ok?"_

Max figured she might as well start heading to the bus stop on campus so she could get to the Two Whales before Chloe got too mad. Of course Max was excited to see Chloe, there was no doubt about that at all. But at the same time, any girl on campus could be in danger because of Nathan Prescott, especially Victoria, if yesterday's incident in the girl's room was any indication.

Outside it was already a nice, crisp Fall morning in Arcadia Bay. Refreshing. Almost enough to make her forget about all of the awful shit that was happening. She took a deep breath, now heading to the front of campus where the bus was. There was just one little problem on the way there— Warren, who was standing by the gate that led up to the main part of campus. Warren was nice, but a bit… too nice. Max was generally a bit oblivious and aloof, but ever since Dana had let her know how Warren so obviously felt about her yesterday, it's like everything clicked at once.

And she didn't really like it.

He was a good friend, but, well, she didn't like him like that, if she even liked guys in that way at all. With what was happening with Victoria, Max was starting to have the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't straight. Maybe she was bisexual? No… she was probably— definitely gay. But she wasn't necessarily freaked out by this sudden revelation. It suddenly explained so, so much about her.

She thought she liked skater boys, but did she really? Maybe it was just something her brain worked up as some sort of defense mechanism? Honestly, Max had no clue. This type of thing with guys and girls had a chance to be more confusing to her than her time powers— somehow.

But she was actually gay for Victoria Chase? Like, not in the way she always say high school girls joke about whenever there was a pretty actress in a movie, but like, actually gay for her. And Victoria was actually gay for Max Caulfield.

…How did Max feel about Chloe though?

Chloe was— still was her best friend, even if she had been dating Rachel Amber and had been sort of replaced during the past five years. They were still best friends, and they'd only be getting closer and closer now that they'd be working on solving these mysteries and finding Rachel.

And Chloe was really beautiful, her new style was so great and she was so fierce and fiery and— and—

…She was gay for Chloe Price as well. She was pretty sure she was at least. Who wouldn't crush on Chloe? Rachel definitely did.

There was no way Max could compete with Rachel, though. Plus, even if Rachel was missing, Max couldn't just… just start flirting with Chloe or ask her out. That would be the actual worst thing she could do. One of the worst things at least. Even if she was crushing on Chloe too, she couldn't just ask a girl out who already had a girlfriend.

Plus with a girl like Rachel, Chloe wouldn't need Max.

Even with all those facts, the thought of Chloe probably not wanting to date her or be with her really upset Max. She bit her lip, trying to hold back any emotions she might have been showing. Because honestly, right now, that thought sort of wanted to make her cry.

These powers were leading to a lot of revelatory facts about herself and who she was.

If only she could get some answers about why she had these powers in the first place as well. She was appreciating finding out about her sexuality, but knowing why she was given these powers, for what purpose, and to what extent her powers could work, would all be very welcome answers right now.

Max shook her head, pulling her phone out, and burying her head in it, as if she was answering back on texts, though she STILL didn't have any— from Chloe or from Victoria— all in hopes that maybe she could sneak by Warren and have a straight shot to Two Whales.

"Hey! Max!"

…That didn't work out like she wanted. Max looked up and over at Warren, waving shyly as she stuck her phone in her messenger bag and walked over to him.

"Oh, hey Warren, what's up?" she asked. Of course she was going to be nice to him in their conversation, she wasn't mean. She just… wanted to be on her way. After talking with Kate, there was a lot to do, and there wouldn't be nearly enough time to do it all. Even with her powers.

"Nothing much, just spent last night nursing this killer black eye. Nathan… can really pack a punch," Warren said with a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Thank you so much Warren, I really do appreciate it. Nathan scared the shit out of me yesterday and I would have been a lot worse off if you weren't there," Max said. Even if he was a bit much, he did help her out a lot.

"No problem. Just a day in the life for your knight in shining armor, right? But you have to let me know about that chick who ran off with. She seemed really rad— but not really your style, you know?" Warren said, and Max had to hold back narrowing her eyebrows at him. That knight in shining armor comment was one thing, but the comment about Chloe… it didn't sound too positive, and Max wasn't going to be keen if Warren was going to insult her best friend.

"That's my best friend, Chloe. We just sort of… ran into each other. I've known her for the longest time, and this is the first time we saw each other since I came back to Arcadia Bay. I was so happy to see her, you have no clue," Max gushed. She couldn't gush enough about Chloe, honestly.

"Oh, that's awesome. She seems like she's probably really cool. Real rough style," he said, and Max shrugged.

"Yeah, she just grew up and I stayed the same," she answered simply, a small shrug of her shoulders following. That's really all there was to it. Chloe definitely had her reasons for growing up so quickly. She had to.

"She sounds cool, I'll have to meet her some time. Maybe we all can hang out sometime during the weekend?" he suggested, and Max grimaced, hoping it would look more like a smile to Warren.

"Oh, yeah, maybe. I mean, this week is probably gonna be busy for both of us, so we'll just have to see," Max said. Fuck, why couldn't she be more assertive like Chloe? It would have really helped in this situation. Or even better, why couldn't Chloe be here so she could say no for them?

"Ok, cool. By the way, what the hell was up with Nathan yesterday? He was being a real macho asshole," Warren said and Max quickly shook her head. There was no way she was going to drag another person into this mess.

"Warren… please, don't ask. It's… it's really messy, and I don't want you getting involved. I'm sorry," Max said, and he frowned and nodded.

"Ok, if you're sure. Just stay safe, ok?"

"I'll do my best," she said. She hoped this would be the chance to get away and finally get on the move for the day.

"By the way, they're going to have the old Planet of the Ape films at the drive-in this weekend and I was thinking about grabbing tickets, you wanna go with?" he asked, and Max slowly shook her head.

"Sorry Warren, I'm just… really stressed out right now. I'm super exhausted and I don't think I'm really up for movies right now," Max said. Maybe that would give him the hint that she wasn't exactly too interested. Plus the storm was coming, how the hell could she think about going to the movies with a giant tornado on its way to wreck Arcadia Bay?

"Well, I hope you feel better, Max. I'll buy an extra ticket for you just in case you feel up to it. I have a feeling the drive-in will probably sell out soon," Warren said.

Guess not.

"…Ok, that… that sounds great. I really gotta get going though, sorry Warren. I'll talk to you later," she told him as she waved and started to walk off.

"Later Max!" he called.

Great, how did she end up in this situation? Now she was probably going to be late for meeting Chloe, and if Victoria found out about it, that would really suck. Hopefully he wouldn't brag about this too much. Plus it's not like they were

If it wasn't for the fact that she saw someone die yesterday, she'd say that today was already starting off worse.

Max just about ran to the bus stop in front of campus, just barely meeting it. There were some other people from her photography class with Mr. Jefferson on the bus into Arcadia Bay, so Max quickly shoved her earbuds into her ears and turned on one of her playlists. She didn't even check what it was, she just didn't want to be bothered right now, and Max listening to music was generally a foolproof way to make sure no one bothered her.

Unless your name was Warren Graham.

Once she was settled in a seat towards the middle of the bus, she pulled out her phone. Surely Victoria or Chloe or Kate had texted her about something.

For once her hopes actually were answered, something from Victoria. Though she figured Chloe was still lying in bed and was going to get ready to get to the Two Whales at the last minute. It seemed very Chloe— not that Max minded.

 _"Hey, I'm with Courtney & Taylor. Rest of the Vortex Club is coming soon to talk about the party this week. I screamed at Courtney & Taylor and they're gonna not be pieces of shit to Kate anymore"_

 _"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. Is Nathan going to be at this meeting?"_

 _"Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to it but he should be here in like ten minutes or something."_

 _"Please be safe around him, and make sure Courtney and Taylor are too. Please."_

 _"I will but they'll probably be fine, only I pissed him off yesterday. Is everything ok?"_

 _"That party where the video was taken of Kate, Nathan took her somewhere and drugged her and maybe raped her. We're going to try and figure it out."_

 _"Holy shit I'm so sorry Max."_

 _"Thanks but you don't need to apologize to me, just to Kate. But maybe don't bring it up to her yet, we can talk about that when I'm there with her. Just stay safe please. I don't want Nathan hurting anyone else."_

 _"I will, thanks Max."_

 _"Kate and I are going to try and figure out what happened to her. If you can find out anything that can help us out, please let us know."_

 _"I will. I owe nothing to Nathan and I'm fucking fuming he would do something like that to someone."_

 _"You're a good person. I'll see you later. Be safe and have a good day."_

 _"You're really helping me be a good person Max. Looking forward to seeing you in class later."_

 _"You already are a good person. Looking forward to seeing you too. Be safe. Maxoxo"_

 _"xoxo"_

Max couldn't help but smile throughout her conversation with Victoria, even if they did talk about what had happened with Kate. Of course she wasn't smiling when she brought up that stuff, but knowing that Victoria wasn't the person she had the impression of originally was a relief. Especially with the feelings she knew she definitely had for her.

She looked out the window, seeing the beach of Arcadia Bay roll by as they started to reach the center of the town where the diner was. It would be great to go back to the places she spent so much time when she was younger. Ever since she came back she only had been on the Blackwell campus.

Until yesterday, that was.

The bus slowed to a stop, and along with everyone else on it, Max got off, slowly taking off her earbuds, shoving them into her messenger bag, as she turned to look at the Two Whales diner. Best damn burgers in Arcadia Bay. Besides William's.

…

She sighed. Thinking about William was hard, she couldn't imagine how Joyce or especially Chloe felt about this. Unless Chloe or Joyce brought up the issue, Max would stay silent on this. It wasn't her place to bring up Chloe's dad.

Walking into the Two Whales felt… surreal. She half expected to never come here again. There Joyce was, behind the counter, getting orders and still just about running the restaurant like it was no problem whatsoever. She was such a hard worker, and definitely an inspiration to Max, even if Max never had the plans of working in a diner. Then again, Joyce probably never considered that her long-term career goal either.

She sat down in one of the booths, and before she knew it, one Joyce Price walking over to hand her a menu.

"Well, if it isn't Max Caulfield, back to grace us from her big city life," the older woman spoke, her accent as clear as ever, and a smile on her face. Max couldn't help but smile— it was so long since she heard Joyce's voice, but it was just what she remembered.

"It's so great to see you again, Joyce. You look the same as ever," Max said.

"Like I'm still helping out in a tiny diner in Arcadia Bay?" she asked, smirking as she placed a hand on her hip. Max shook her head quickly.

"No, you're still beautiful. I hope I can look as lovely as you when I'm your age," she told her, and Joyce couldn't help but turn a bit red.

"You're sweet, kid. Much to sweet for the big city. So what'll it be?" she asked.

Her first meal back at the Two Whales in five years, and she had no clue what to pick. She wanted to pick everything, but, well, that obviously wasn't feasible.

"I've really been dying for a greasy Two Whales bacon omelette," Max said, "Oh, and coffee, too, please."

"Coffee? My, you really are grown up… gosh, I know William would have loved to see you so grown up and ready to take on the world," Joyce said, a bit of a weary smile on her face.

"Joyce, I'm so, so sorry about what happened to William. He was one of the greatest people I knew. I miss him every day. I know Chloe does too," Max said, offering a small smile in hopes that it would help Joyce feel better.

"Oh I know, Max. And thank you. It's just… it's hard to realize sometimes. I know he would have loved to see you and Chloe together again," Joyce said, letting out a small sigh before leaning in closer to Max.

"Now, I heard about what happened yesterday, and I just want to say I'm sorry. I haven't had a chance to talk to David yet, but believe you me, he is getting an earful as soon as I do. Whether you had a joint or not, he is not allowed to talk to you, threaten you, hit you, or treat you poorly," Joyce told her. Max gulped, how did she find out? Did Chloe…?

"Joyce, it's fine, really. It didn't hurt that bad, you don't have to worry about it," Max tried to reason, and Joyce frowned.

"Max… you don't have to say that, really. I'm not going to let the girl who has basically been a second daughter to me be treated poorly by my husband. Now, you sit back and relax, I'll get you your coffee and let the cooks know your order," Joyce said, and Max nodded silently.

Not even a minute later, Joyce was back with a cup of coffee for Max, and then sped off to take care of all sorts of other orders, drinks— she couldn't see how such a small diner could be so busy, but Joyce was putting in the work like it was no sweat.

 _"I sure hope Chloe gets here soon… I would have thought she'd be here by now. I can't wait to see Chloe and Joyce together— if Chloe told Joyce about what happened yesterday they must be really close still. It would be great if the three of us could have dinner sometime— assuming this week isn't too awful,"_ Max thought with a small sigh as she took another sip of her coffee. It was probably wishful thinking, but if they all managed to survive this storm, they'd definitely have to sit down and have a nice meal together, like old times… even if William couldn't be there.

Max was snapped out of her thoughts by the diner door opening, the little bell ringing, notifying the entrance of one very beautiful Chloe Price.

Chloe near skipped on over to the booth, in much higher spirits than last night before Max had left her truck, which had to be good. She swung into the booth, arms on the table, leaning over in close to Max, which caused her to turn just a bit red.

"Ok girl, we have so much to get done today. Your powers— you gotta dish about what happened with you and Victoria, shit, there is so much we need to talk about," Chloe said, as Joyce walked over, Max's omelette in hand. She could feel herself just about drooling as Joyce set it down in front of her and wasted no time at all digging in.

"Thanks Joyce," Max said in between bites, finally adding, "Joyce? Do you think you can get Chloe an omelette too? My treat," with a smile.

"Sure thing. Chloe has been a bit of a good Samaritan lately, I've heard. But don't worry about it, Max, it's my treat. It's your first meal back here, I don't want you worrying about paying," Joyce assured her, and Max nodded, while Chloe grinned.

"Thanks mom!" Chloe called, leaning back in to close the distance between her and Max.

"So, we need to figure out all about your powers. You told me stuff yesterday, but like, let's really see what we can do," Chloe said, excited, but keeping her voice down, which was a relief. Last thing she needed was Chloe screaming about how "Max Caulfield could rewind time". It wouldn't end well.

"…What do you have in mind?" Max asked, warily. Chloe had a gleam in her eye that had Max curious about what she wanted Max to do.

"Ok, I was thinking about it on my way here, and I totally had the perfect idea on how we can see that your powers are for real," Chloe told her.

"Chloe, I already know that my powers are for real," Max told her, but Chloe shook her head.

"Well yeah, and everything sounds hella exciting but I want to see it for myself, you know?" Chloe said.

"…You know you wouldn't really be able to see time rewinding, right?"

"Well, duh, I just… you know what I mean."

"Ok, so what do you have in mind exactly?" Max asked, again. Chloe sure was beating around the bush.

"You're gonna tell me what's in my pockets."

Max was almost stunned. It wasn't dangerous, thankfully, but it did feel a bit anticlimactic.

"So, I'm gonna find out what's in your pockets, rewind time to right when you tell me the idea, and then tell you what's in your pockets," Max repeated, and Chloe nodded.

"You already know what's in your pockets?"

"Well, yeah, I checked before I came in," Chloe told her, and Max couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Ok, ok. Let's do this then."

Chloe quickly dug into her pockets, pulling out all sorts of stuff— Max was honestly surprised Chloe could fit all of that in her pockets.

"Ok, car keys," Max said, looking over the items.

"Change," Chloe said.

"Cigarettes?"

"And a parking ticket. Surely that can't be too tough to remember for Super-Max," Chloe said, folding her arms as Joyce walked over.

"Chloe— clear that shit off the table. You're at a restaurant," Joyce chided, as Chloe quickly grabbed everything and shoved it back into her pockets, Joyce setting Chloe's omelette on the table.

From there, Max rewound time, just a bit, to right when Chloe was telling Max her plan.

"You're gonna tell me what's in my pockets."

Max grinned, and Chloe quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh my God you already know, don't you? That is so cool. What do I have? What do I have?" she asked, hands clenched into fists excitedly.

"Ok, you have change. Eighty-six cents."

Chloe dug into her pockets and pulled out a bunch of coins, counting them to herself before her eyes lit up and she shoved them all back into her pocket.

"Holy shit. Ok, what's next?" she asked, eyes glued to Max.

"You have a parking ticket. You got it at ten thirty-four in the morning," Max told her. They were little details she had picked up when she stared at the items for the brief moment that she did. At least they would prove to Chloe that she really did have time powers— as if being able to say she had a parking ticket in her pocket wasn't enough.

Chloe dug into her pocket, pulling out the wadded up piece of paper and looking it over.

"Wow, you're right. And I haven't even— ok— I did show it to you. Just not yet," Chloe said, shoving it back into her pocket just as quickly as she pulled it out.

"I _really_ gotta pay that off soon," she joked, though Max knew it wasn't exactly a joke.

Between the money she said she needed to get to LA with Rachel and this, that had to have been why Chloe asked to get money from Victoria.

It almost didn't seem like a bad idea— except for the stealing from the girl she was probably totally crushing on.

Ok, scratch that, it was totally a bad idea.

"And you have your car keys. With a cute little panda keychain," Max said with a small, knowing nod.

"I don't even need to take those out of my pocket to know you're right. You were really paying attention."

"And finally, you have cigarettes. Seven of them," Max said, as Chloe pulled out the crumpled package of cigarettes that somehow still managed to be intact.

"You should really quit, you know," Max said, feeling silly for lecturing her best friend about quitting smoking.

"I will. Once we find Rachel," Chloe said as Joyce walked over— right on time.

"Chloe, this is a non-smoking restaurant you know, put those away and just eat your breakfast," she said, setting the plate on the table as Chloe shoved the cigarettes back in her pocket, rolling her eyes.

"Thanks for our breakfast, mom," Chloe said. At least that was meant sincerely, as best as Max could tell.

"Enjoy you two," Joyce said with a smile as she walked away, both girls sitting in silence for about five minutes as they ate. Max was finishing up but Chloe was just about shoveling food into her mouth with no care.

Once the two were done, Chloe let out a small burp, which caused both of the girls to laugh.

"Your powers are so cool, Max. I have the perfect plan for phase two of trying out your powers," Chloe gushed, and Max quirked an eyebrow.

"You're not gonna have me tell you the contents of your closet, are you?" Max asked.

"Funny. No, we're gonna go to my super secret lair and— don't worry, this will prepare us for the week. Especially Nathan," Chloe said, a big smile on her face.

Now Max couldn't help but feel nervous at this. What… what exactly did Chloe have in mind?

"So, uh, should we get going then?" Max asked, a bit nervously. Even Chloe could tell.

"Yeah, let's go. And you don't have to be so nervous, really. Everything is gonna be fine," Chloe assured her, patting Max on the shoulder as the two started to head for the door.

"I hope so," Max said before she felt her phone vibrate. She stopped, and pulled it out of her pocket. Kate. Chloe looked at her, tapping her foot expectantly.

"It's Kate Marsh, from Blackwell. Just give me a minute," Max said, as she brought the phone to her ear. Kate was going through a lot, there was no way Max was going to not pick up.

"Fine, just let me stand here while you talk to your new best friend," Chloe snapped as Joyce practically ran over to chew her out. Max wasn't listening— it would have been rude— plus, Kate.

"Hey Kate, how's it going?"

 _"I, uh, I talked to Principal Wells about what happened with Nathan."_

"Y-You did? What did he say?" Max was nervous, she wasn't going to lie.

 _"I— well I told him about the Vortex Club party, and what Nathan did. Everything I told you, just about word for word."_

"What happened?"

 _"He— well he said he would investigate the matter about the Vortex Club party and he would talk to the Arcadia Bay police department. I— I have a good feeling about it! How are things with you? DO you think you've found anything out yet?"_

"Not yet, I'm sorry Kate. But I think I have a solid lead and I'll turn up with something soon. I promise. And I'll let you know as soon as I find out. Don't worry Kate. Just stay calm and remember everything will be fine, I'll make sure of it," Max said. She could've sworn… was Kate crying on the phone? It sounded close to it. Hopefully she was ok…

 _"Thanks Max. I'll just… I'll just take it easy and wait to hear back from you."_

"Sounds good Kate. Just relax, do something you enjoy. You're strong and you're going to be ok, I promise."

 _"Thanks Max, you're… you're really reassuring me. I'll see you later?"_

"Yeah, I'll see you later Kate. Take care, please. Everything will be fine," she said again, hoping it would help. With what Kate told her, Max couldn't help but be worried— what if Nathan found out and did something to her? Though, at least Victoria could help.

She looked at her phone, to quickly text Victoria.

 _i"Kate just reported what happened at the Vortex Club party to the Principal and told him about Nathan. He said he's gonna investigate and the police will too. Can you make sure Nathan doesn't go to Kate's dorm?"/i_

Not even a minute later, as Max took another step towards Chloe, she checked her phone again. Text from Victoria. Perfect.

 _"Ok you got it. We're not near the dorms right now but if we go near I'll do my best to stop them"_

 _"Everything ok with the Vortex Club?"_

 _"I'll let you know later but everything is ok right now. See u later babe xoxoxo"_

 _"Later. Be safe. Maxoxo"_

She was already a babe to Victoria? She couldn't help but turn red at the thought.

Chloe cleared her throat as Max finally looked up at her.

"All done?" Chloe asked, arms folded, definitely displeased.

"Yeah. I'll let you know what happened in the car— we really don't need anyone knowing about this," Max said and Chloe shrugged.

"Whatever, let's get going."

"Where to?"

"You'll find out."

The two left the diner, heading into Chloe's truck which was in the parking lot.

She sped off, eyes narrowed, focused on the road.

"Thanks for letting me take the heat from my mom while you talked to your new bff," Chloe snapped, and Max was taken aback.

"Chloe—"

"Yeah, whatever, she's more important than me."

"Chloe—"

"Just another person for you to abandon me for, huh?"

"Kate might have been raped, Chloe," Max said suddenly, since Chloe showed no intention of calming down. Chloe's eyes widened, and she just about choked.

"What!?" she asked, turning briefly to look at Max, seeing the look on her face. She was serious.

"She went to a Vortex Club party last Friday, and they put something in her drink. Nathan took her somewhere, stuck a needle in her neck, and the last thing she remembered was waking up outside her dorm. We don't know what happened but knowing Nathan he could have done something to her," Max explained. Chloe was her best friend in the world, but she wasn't going to stand for this by any means.

"Shit… I'm really sorry Max. We'll— We'll make that asshole pay, I promise. Kate will get her revenge."

"Justice."

"Same thing. Either way, he needs to pay."

"They took a video of her at the party," Max said, barely wanting to say it, but she already said the other stuff regarding Kate, and Chloe needed to know. She needed to know all the details so they could work effectively.

"Do I want to know what the video was of?" Chloe asked, biting her lip nervously.

"Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyways."

"…Fair enough."

"She had a little bit of red wine and Nathan must have spiked it with something. She started making out with a bunch of people and doesn't remember it. Everyone is using that video to shit on her and it's all Nathan's fault. She's feeling really awful right now," she explained, and Chloe sighed.

"Shit… I'm— I know I already said it, but I'm sorry, Max. I wouldn't have gone so aggro on you had I known back in the diner," Chloe said. She could be angry, but she wouldn't want to hurt one of Max's best friends like that.

"It's— I know you didn't mean it, Chloe. You're a good person. But we have to get her justice. We're going to figure out what Nathan did, bring irrefutable proof so that way he can get in trouble. The Vortex Club isn't going to get away with this," Max said. She felt fired up— she was ready to take them on. Even if there was the chance things wouldn't end up well. No, things would end up well. She'd make sure of it. She had these powers for a reason. Clearly they were so she could fix these problems.

"Yeah, Nathan fucked with me, now Kate, who knows who else he's tried to do something to. Mother fucker better not have done anything to Rachel…" she grumbled angrily.

"We'll figure out what's happened, and bring him to justice. I promise Chloe. We're unstoppable as a team, we'll make sure everything is ok in Arcadia Bay."

"Yeah… we will," she said, with a nod. Chloe wanted it to be ok as much as Max did. They were in this deep, they just had to keep going and do the best they could.

"By the way, how did things go with Victoria? You never told me what happened, just that you would explain later," Chloe asked, and now Max was nervous. What was she supposed to say? That they slept in the same bed together and they were going to have some sort of pizza date tonight?

Chloe would freak, and sort of rightfully so, after what she knew of how Victoria treated her and Rachel.

"She's on our side now," Max said with a smile.

"Wait, really? You're shitting me. She's— how?" Chloe asked, in complete and utter disbelief.

"I told her everything, and, well, she believed me. She said Nathan's really pissed at her and… and she might not be with the Vortex Club longer depending on how things work out. But she's with us and she's going to help us however she can," Max told her. She could still barely believe it, honestly.

"How did she believe you about your powers?" Chloe asked, and Max bit her lip. Shit, what was she going to say?

"Well, I had her write something down on a piece of paper, and then I took it and I rewound, and she could tell that I did it because then she took the paper and saw that that was what she was going to write, so she had to believe me."

"Damn, that's really cool. Your powers are awesome, Max," Chloe grinned, and Max blushed a bit. It was nice being praised for her wild time powers.

"Thanks. So, now there's four of us. You, Kate, Victoria, and me," Max said. She felt better every time she thought of it like that. They actually had a group that was banded together and could cause some real good. They'd just all need to figure out how to stop Nathan and this town-destroying tornado, though. That was going to be the tough part.

"Five of us once we find Rachel. We'll kick Nathan's ass, step-dick's ass, and stop this tornado. The five of us will be unstoppable," Chloe said.

"Are you going to be ok teaming up with Victoria? I know she didn't exactly treat you and Rachel that great…" Max said. She liked Victoria, and Chloe was her best friend. And Rachel was her best friend's girlfriend. She didn't want any of them upset by this turn of events. But at the same time they could all be a great team working together, if they actually managed to get along.

"Yeah. If you say she's turned over a new leaf, then I believe you. I'll do my best not to start any fights with her. I want all of this stuff solved, I'm not gonna sabotage anything," Chloe said, which caused Max to smile. She couldn't help it. Maybe she would be able to tell Chloe about her and Victoria after all— just— probably not now.

"You are the best friend ever, Chloe," Max told her.

"I know."

"So… where are we going anyways?" Max asked, curious, seeing as Chloe didn't see it worth bringing up earlier.

"Like I said, my secret lair— well— it was mine and Rachel's, I should say."

"So… where is it?"

Chloe's truck finally pulled up to just outside a junkyard, stopping. Chloe got out of the truck, and Max followed, definitely curious what this place was. What could they have done at a junkyard?

"Here we are. Welcome to American Rust. At this point it's the only place I'd consider home in the shit heap that is Arcadia Bay. Now come on, we have work to do."


	9. The Troubles

**Sorry for such a long delay in chapter updates! Been trying to figure out how to approach things within the story- and alongside that, have just had trouble mustering up the ability to write this segment, again, with how to approach different scenarios that happen in this part of episode 2. The end of episode 2 will happen next chapter- though there may be a delay as next week I start classes for the year. I'll do my best to update in a relatively timely manner, or at the least, release other stories/oneshots. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"American Rust? Wait— you never even told me what we have to do!" Max called out as she chased after Chloe, already making her way into the, honestly, rather gross junkyard, old cars mangled together and scraps of metal and old clothes everywhere. It was… rather confusing.

But Max would follow Chloe anywhere.

Both of them knew that.

Chloe stopped and turned to face Max, hands behind her back. Max quirked an eyebrow and tried to see what Chloe had in her hands back there— she didn't even know what she had, but her worry was growing more and more by the moment.

The blue haired girl took one slow step forward, then another, until she was pretty close to Max, before whipping her hands forward, a gun pointed in Max's face.

 _ **A gun!? What the FUCK!?**_

"This is a hold up, little lady!" Chloe said before bursting up into laughter, bringing the gun in close, no longer pointing it at her scared shitless best friend.

"Chloe… what the fuck? Why do you have a gun? And why did you point it at me?" Max asked, breathing heavily. She was so scared seeing a gun, especially after what happened yesterday. She really didn't want to see one pointed in her face, either.

"I stole it from step dick. Look, we know Nathan Prescott is dangerous as hell. He nearly killed your friend—"

"Victoria."

"Victoria. And he beat the shit out of your other friend. He has a gun. We know how dangerous he is. So I took one so we're on an even playing field."

"Ok… I guess that makes sense. Just, you didn't have to put it in my face, did you? What if you pulled the trigger?" Max asked. Sweat was starting to form on her forehead.

"Oh, come on Max, I would have never pulled the trigger. Plus the safety is on," Chloe said, bringing the gun up to her face to examine it. "See, I'm looking at it now and—"

"—The safety is… totally on," Chloe said, her eyes darting between the gun and Max.

What Max didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

Chloe kept walking, Max trailed behind. She started to grab a two by four and set it on some old oil drums.

"So, wait, why are we here even? What are we going to do with a gun in a junkyard?" Max asked, folding her arms. After setting up another board of wood perpendicular to the one laying on the oil drums, Chloe turned to Max.

"Target practice. And with your rad powers, I won't have to waste a bullet," Chloe explained, a big grin on her face. Max didn't like the idea, but with everything that was happening, it felt kind of necessary. Max hated guns, but it would be a way to protect them. And Max had her powers, at least.

"So… what exactly are we going to use for targets, Chloe?"

"There's, uh, there's probably some old beer bottles around here somewhere? I'll set up the shooting range and wait for you," Chloe said with a smile.

Max couldn't say no to that.

"Yes ma'am, I'll be right back," Max said, turning to face the junkyard. She'd find some bottles here. She didn't like the plan, but, well, this week was going to be serious, they couldn't take it lightly. It was probably good that Chloe was doing something like this.

"Ooh, ma'am. I like the sound of that," Chloe teased, and Max was glad she wasn't facing her, because she was bright red from that comment. Chloe knew how to push her buttons lately, apparently.

"I'm ignoring that!"

"If you say so," Chloe said, smirking to herself. Max was too easy sometimes.

It was taking some time to find five bottles— this junkyard was nasty and disgusting and kind of maze-like, but she managed to find three bottles, two more and that would probably be more than enough. Max stopped though when she saw a… little brick shack?

"What do we have here…" Max wondered quietly as she walked into it. It became quickly apparent that it was Chloe and Rachel's hideout. She nervously walked in, as afraid of being caught by Chloe somehow as she was curious about— what was in there? The two were… the two were girlfriends, clearly there had to be a lot of happy memories between the two.

…Was Max a bad person if she wanted to go in?

Max looked behind her quickly and took a quiet step into the brick shack.

 _"Hopefully I don't regret this…"_ she thought to herself, taking a deep breath.

Looking around, the brick shack seemed the perfect place for the two girls to spend time. Lots of graffiti, some records and CDs, a lot of photos, and clothes?

Oh god, did they have sex in here?

Considering there was a couch… that probably was the case.

Max took a cursory look at the photos, little photobooth strips of the two making adorable faces and both looking pretty.

They sure did have a lot of great times together… without Max.

Max sighed, each time she saw something like this she felt more and more like shit and more and more like she deserved this. Like she didn't deserve Chloe's friendship— or anything more.

She shook her head, she knew she shouldn't have focused on stuff like this, it was just going to distract her from the important stuff this week. Plus it was just… petty of her.

Though Max couldn't help but take another glance at the tables in the shack, and there were a lot of notes on them, too. Some crumpled notes in a trash can too.

They had to be important somehow, Max just had that feeling.

"I shouldn't read those, those are private. Whatever Rachel or Chloe wrote to each other is none of my business," Max said, though she let out a sigh. She was curious, but she had to be a good person.

The last thing that Max noticed was some graffiti on one of the walls.

 **Rachel was here  
Chloe was here**

It was adorable. It didn't feel all that much like Chloe— Rachel had to have been the one to get them to do it. There was a nearby marker, and surely neither of the girls would mind if she wrote her name too, right?

 _…Right?_

She took a deep breath, and grabbed the marker, writing underneath Chloe's name.

 **Max was here**

Now they were like a trio, bonded for life.

At least that's what Max wanted to think. Surely she wasn't some weird third wheel, right? Maybe Victoria would be able to give advice since she seemed way better at knowing about these kinds of things.

…Though that could end up being a _real_ awkward conversation to have after they told each other how they felt about each other.

Why did she have to start developing feelings for two amazing girls? It was amazing and complicated, and she wasn't sure what to think— or what to do.

And keeping her mind off of it didn't seem like much of an option. Even with all that was happening… yeah, this was far too ingrained in her mind to try and get pushed to the side.

She hadn't heard back from Victoria or Kate, so Max just hoped that everything was fine. She was hanging out with her best friend in the world anyways… and she had no clue how long they'd be able to do something… even something like this.

For now though, she had to get back to focus on the task at hand. There would be time for texting and checking up on her crush and Kate later, she still had to find a few more bottles.

…Ten minutes later, Max _somehow_ managed to find two more old beer bottles. Five in total.

"I hope this is enough for Chloe… and I hope she knows what she's doing…" Max mumbled to herself as she started heading back to the makeshift shooting range Chloe had finished setting up towards the entrance of the junkyard.

Max was having a real bad feeling about this all of a sudden.

Chloe was sitting on one of the boards she had set up to use as the makeshift shooting range, looking intently at her phone.

Max waved as she walked over, though Chloe didn't seem to notice her.

"Hey! I'm back with the bottles you asked for!" Max called, now standing in front of her. Chloe finally looked up, a grin on her face, and hopped off where she was sitting, as Max started to shift through her bag, pulling out the bottles and handing them to Chloe.

"None of them were full?" Chloe asked, and Max quirked an eyebrow.

"You aren't serious," Max said.

"I _am_ pretty thirsty right now…"

Max remained silent, sighing.

"Come on, you know I'm not serious. Now let's get this set up," Chloe said, giving Max's shoulder a playful shove, Max now smiling again.

Chloe started to set up the five bottles, each one spaced apart from each other a bit.

"So, target practice?"

"Target practice."

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Chloe?" max asked, folding her arms, nervously eying the gun that Chloe held in her hands.

"Yeah, come on, it's just bottles. I shoot them, you rewind if I miss, and I become a crackshot in no time, and we can take on that rich asshole and show him not to fuck with anyone," Chloe said, narrowing her eyes as she looked over at the bottles.

"If you're sure," Max said, gulping. Though the thought of Chloe with a gun was unnerving. What if something bad happened?

No, nothing bad would happen. Not while she was conscious and had these powers.

"Oh, I'm sure. You can trust me, Max, seriously," Chloe assured her, and Max stepped behind her and watched and helped as Chloe took aim at the bottles and shot, rewinding time each time the blue haired girl missed and helped her to take aim better.

After two bottles were burst into glass shards, Chloe backed up and bumped her elbow into Max's side, grinning.

"See, nothing to worry about," she assured her. "How about I try a trick shot?" she suggested, and Max's eyes widened.

"A… a trick shot?"

"Yeah, you know, when you shoot something else and it ricochets off and hits the thing you want to hit."

"I know what a trick shot is, Chloe. I'm just… you think it's a good idea?" Max asked. Max loved Chloe's carefree, reckless attitude, but in times like these… shit, they left her stressed.

"It'll be fine Max, you have rewind powers. If anything happens to me you can fix it in an instant and everything will be fine," Chloe said, that big smile still on her face as she wrapped an arm around Max's shoulder. Max knew this was a bad idea, but… when Chloe was doing this, it was hard to be afraid— or at least hard to show it.

"Ok, ok, I trust you."

"So, what should I shoot at? Something on that car looks like it'd be good to ricochet into a bottle," Chloe said as she quickly held up the gun, closing one eye to aim down the sights and sticking out her tongue slightly… it was kind of adorable. Not that Max would actually say that to her friend.

"Umm… I'm not really sure," Max said. Honestly, looking at the car? Shooting anywhere seemed like a bad idea, she felt.

"Oh, I got it! What about the car's bumper? I bet that would make a sick shot," Chloe said, and before Max could say anything to try and stop her, Chloe took aim and shot square at the car's bumper. The bullet ricocheted, but not in the way either girl would have hoped.

It pierced the left part of Chloe's chest. Max could already see a bit of blood— and it quickly started to pour. Chloe fell to her knees, dropping the gun and gripping her chest, gasping for breath.

"Max— Max— turn back please… Turn back!" she mumbled, eventually shouting, her eyes wide. Max was frozen there for a second.

In not even two full days, she had seen a girl who was sort of becoming some mix between a crush and a girlfriend, and her best friend, get shot and start dying before her eyes. She was near tears, but she held her hand up, and quickly rewound times, just moments before Chloe fired the fatal shot.

As soon as she was done she quickly stepped towards Chloe, wrapping her arms around her to hold her, accidentally knocking both of them to the ground, the gun falling to the ground as it was knocked out of her hand. Tears were now pouring down her face, onto herself and Chloe.

"Max!? Max what the hell? Are you ok?" Chloe asked, turning herself over and seeing her crying, her face suddenly struck with a look of worry.

"Max… Max what happened? Is everything ok?" What's… what's wrong?" Chloe asked, holding onto the brunette's shoulder as she positioned the two of them to sit up, Max now rubbing her eyes, Chloe still staring at her, scared and concerned.

"You— don't take another shot, please. You took a shot and the bullet bounced and it… it fucking hit you in the chest and you were dying and I had to go back!" Max just about screamed in between heaving breaths and sobbing.

"Max…"

"I know we have to do something about Nathan but, but please, I don't want to do this. I've already seen Victoria die, and you could've died yesterday. Now you've died today and… and I don't want to see anyone die anymore, not people I care about— not my best friend," Max said, eventually wiping her eyes after talking. Chloe was stunned silent.

"I'm sorry, Max, I… I don't know what to say."

"I want— I need you to live. You're my best friend and I don't know what I'd ever do without you. I know we need to prepare for Nathan but… I just don't want to do this, I'm sorry. I can't do this, Chloe," Max said. She was just shy of outright begging to get rid of the gun.

"Ok, ok Max, I promise. No more guns. I can't guarantee I'll never use it, but I promise I will only use it if it's actually necessary. Is that ok?"

Max nodded slowly, sniffling and wiping the last few tears out of her now red, puffy eyes. "Yeah, that's… that's ok."

"Now come on, we've had enough shooting for the year, let's go do something not as scary, sounds good?"

"Sounds good."

The two started to walk off a bit, before Max stopped in her tracks, wavering a bit. She felt something under her nose, and felt a bit dizzy. Placing her hand under her nose, her eyes widened. Blood? Her… nose was bleeding? She had seen enough movies and TV shows to know… this wasn't that good.

Chloe had taken a few steps forward, turning around once she noticed Max had stopped.

"Hey, you ok? Max, your nose…"

"Chloe, I don't— I don't feel… so… good," she said weakly, before falling to the ground, her vision going black.

"Max!" was the last thing she heard.

It was another vision. This time the tornado— Friday's tornado— was stronger than before, raging loudly. Everything felt like it was spinning. The last thing she could remember in that brief vision was the lighthouse in the center of the tornado, being ripped apart.

Max jolted awake, breathing heavily. She tried to sit up, before realizing she was being held, by Chloe. Chloe's arm was wrapped around Max, preventing her from sliding off the car the two were sitting on.

Chloe dragged her all the way to this car for her to lie down?

Chloe was too good to her.

"H-Hey… what'd I miss?" Max asked, placing a finger under her nose. Most of the blood was gone, but there was still some that had dried.

Chloe's expression eased and she smiled when she heard Max, letting go of her so the brunette could sit up next to her.

"So, uh, are you ok? This is the second time this has happened and it's kind of worrying me. You… you haven't been having fainting spells in Seattle, I'm guessing?" Chloe asked. Max was nervous about this, and it was becoming apparent Chloe was too. What was happening with her and her powers?

"No… yesterday was the first time, and I haven't really had any nosebleeds until just now," Max told her with a sigh. Things were getting a bit too real this week.

"You think it's your powers?" Chloe asked, her hand lightly holding the gun, which was sitting on her left side on the hood of the old junker car the two were on.

"I think so… it's kind of scary to think about… I'm worried— maybe this power is too much for me or something," Max said with a sigh. She couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on, but there were no answers.

There wouldn't ever be enough answers, probably.

"You, uh, you feeling any better? You just knocked out like last time, out of nowhere," Chloe said. "Don't worry, it was easy getting you over here, you're pretty light," she added, laughing. Max smiled, though she didn't have the energy for laughing like Chloe was. She was too tired right now.

"I'm feeling better, and thanks. That was really nice of you. I'm still kind of tired, but I'm better than I was a little bit ago. I had another vision, though," Max told her, and Chloe's eyes widened.

"What happened in it?" she asked. Although Chloe wasn't entirely on board with Max's "vision" originally, this was the second time this scenario had happened in not even a full day, how could she not be on board and believe her best friend at this point.

"The tornado, again. It was… short, and really intense. Just the loud sound of the wind. I was inside the tornado… It was… it seemed rougher than the last one. It was tearing apart the lighthouse…" Max explained.

"It was terrifying. This is… Chloe this is real and dangerous."

"I know, Max. I know. I believe you. We're going to figure this out," Chloe told her, setting a hand on her friend's shoulder to try and reassure her, though it was hard to pretend to be too confident. A killer tornado in Arcadia Bay seemed like too much for either of them to handle, admittedly.

"I hope so…"

"Come on, we've had enough for today, let's head off for now," Chloe said, standing up, grabbing Max's hand. Max was a bit tired and didn't exactly want to get up, but she followed along with Chloe. The two of them started to walk through the junkyard, Chloe leading the way.

As per usual, with the two of them.

"Chloe, where are we going this time?" Max asked— after the junkyard, Max was a bit more wary of where Chloe might take her.

"Relax, Super-Max, everything is gonna be fine. This will be nice and chill compared to target practice," Chloe assured her.

The two kept walking, now making their way through the junkyard, Chloe leading her through— until someone walked into view.

…Who the hell was that?

He was tall, blond, with a lot of tattoos.

He looked kind of… dangerous.

"Well, well, well… Clyde has a new Bonnie, huh?" the man said, standing in front of them, more or less stopping them from moving forward anymore.

Max was far too afraid to move, anyways. Something about this guy just seemed… dangerous.

…Like Nathan.

Though Max couldn't see it, Chloe had narrowed her eyebrows at the man, glaring at him.

"Screw you, Frank. My friend isn't a replacement for my girlfriend," she just about spat at the man— Frank.

"Yeah, and an IOU isn't a replacement for all that money you owe me," he told her, taking a step towards the duo. Max just about shrunk back in fear, standing behind Chloe, who seemed more than brave enough to confront him.

"Look, Frank, I told you, you'll get your money soon. I promise, by the end of the week, you'll have your money," Chloe assured him.

Wait, was _this_ why Chloe joked with Max about taking money from Victoria? Not the parking ticket, but because she had to pay this guy off?

"You keep telling me soon, but I want it by Friday, or else," he said rather threateningly, pointing a finger in her face. Chloe suddenly grabbed his wrist, looking… really… really angry.

"That's Rachel's bracelet! Frank, what the fuck are you doing with Rachel's bracelet!?" she just about screamed at him, trying her best to get the bracelet made of string and beads off his wrist.

Frank started to yank his wrist away, just about pushing Chloe down in the process.

"Calm down! This was a gift from her. Don't be mad because you never got one," Frank said, smirking, and Chloe was now red. Max felt powerless and like she couldn't do anything right now. It was just some confrontation between Chloe and this guy, Frank, with Max watching from the outside in.

"Fuck you Frank! Give it back, now!" she shouted again, trying to reach for the bracelet again, until Frank grabbed her by the neck with his left hand, and pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and held it up to her face with his right.

"Do you want me to cut you, Chloe?" he asked, Chloe doing her best to try and back away, but Frank kept her in her grasp.

What the fuck was Max supposed to do!? The situation had escalated so quickly and out of nowhere— she had no clue what to do.

Though… all this time…

She had Chloe's gun behind her back.

Chloe had slipped it into her hand a bit ago when they started walking, just to carry, much to Max's chagrin, and she had been holding it behind her back ever since. Max didn't like being near guns, let alone holding one, but at least this was a better situation than Chloe having it.

…She probably would have shot him by now.

Maybe Max could scare him with it?

That… that wouldn't end well though.

She had seen what a gun could do yesterday— in the flesh— she didn't want to be a part of that at all.

The only other option was trying to negotiate with him… make sure he didn't hurt… or kill Chloe. There was the chance that actually wouldn't end well though.

Hopefully her powers would still be working after her fainting spell she just had…

 _"Max… you can do it, you don't need a gun. You can do this on your own."_ she thought, taking a deep breath before stepping forward to speak.

"Frank— please… please don't do anything to Chloe," Max begged, and Frank turned his attention to her, though kept the switchblade trained on Chloe.

"Oh, yeah, why don't I just leave her be even though she owes me three grand with interest. Yeah, that's a great idea," he said, his voice dripping with angry sarcasm as he glared at Max.

"Please. We can— we can get your money, I promise," Max said.

"Yeah— Come on Frank, I'm almost good for it, I've told you a dozen times," Chloe assured him. Max didn't have much confidence in that claim, though.

"You've told me a lot of times and you still don't have it, you know," Frank growled. Max was grimacing, she was nervous in this situation. There was a chance this guy was more dangerous than Nathan.

"Frank, please… we will get you the money. And— and if you hurt Chloe, she won't be able to get you your money. I promise, we'll get it to you. Soon," Max promised him. For all the good things she was saying this week, there was something like this— she was saying something not so great that had a chance of making things much, MUCH worse.

Frank stayed silent for a moment, glaring at Chloe and Max, before letting Chloe go, putting the switchblade away. Chloe quickly backed up next to Max, while Frank took a few steps towards them.

"Three grand, with interest, Friday. You don't get it for me, Chloe, and I'm going to make your new friend pay up," he said, pointing threateningly at Max.

"We'll— we'll get you the money Frank," Chloe told him.

"You better," was all he said, before heading off past them.

The two girls stood there in complete silence for a number of minutes, both wanting to make sure that Frank was gone before they did anything. As soon as they were sure he was gone, Chloe quickly held onto Max, hugging her tight.

"You… you saved my life, Max," she said, her voice wavering a bit.

"That was… that was really terrifying, Chloe," Max said, moving her hands from behind her back, handing Chloe the gun.

"You had that all along and you didn't use it?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"Look, between seeing Victoria get shot yesterday, and you getting shot today… using a gun is really the last thing I ever want to do, Chloe," she told her, letting out a sigh.

"…Fair enough, I guess. Thanks again for saving me," Chloe said shyly.

"I would never let anything happen to you, Chloe," Max told her. She meant it— hopefully Chloe knew that.

"Yeah, sorry, I know, it was just scary. He's never gotten that angry at me before," Chloe said. For someone who had such a devil may care attitude now, the blue haired girl seemed more than a bit scared.

"So, um, you definitely have to tell me about what's up with this guy," Max said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, yeah I will. But first, come on. We got distracted from where I was taking you due to that little run-in, let's go," Chloe said, grabbing Max's hand again and leading her off.

Max couldn't lie, Chloe grabbing onto her hand like this was…

It was nice.

It was a short walk over to the train tracks, and the two started to walk on them for a bit, holding onto each others' hands to keep their balance.

"I'm so glad we saw each other yesterday," Chloe said, and Max nodded, looking down at the track she was on, putting one foot in front of the other slowly, keeping her balance as best she could.

"Me too— and with me getting my powers… I feel like it made perfect sense for us to finally meet up again," Max mused. She hadn't seen Chloe at all since getting back to Arcadia Bay, and with the situation at hand, running into her seemed more than just coincidence.

The two finally stopped, letting go of each others' hands and started to lie down next to each other on the wooden railroad tracks, staring at the sky, doing their best to relax after how nightmarish the past few hours were.

"Friday sure is going to be an intense day, huh?" Chloe joked nervously, hands behind her head.

"Between owing over three thousand dollars to some dangerous creep and a town-ending tornado… I'd say so," Max sighed. The air around the two felt uneasy due to their current predicament. This week wasn't going well.

"So, who was that guy, anyways?"

"Frank, he's the local scumbag drug dealer. Real swell guy…" Chloe trailed off, glancing over at Max, who was staring up at the clouds.

"Why are you hanging out around him, anyways?"

"Well me and Rachel needed to get our pot from somewhere, you know."

"And you just kept hanging out with him?"

"Well, not like, to hang out with him hang out with him. He had money. The idea was for us to scrounge up enough cash from him that Rachel and I could get the hell out of Arcadia Bay… and you know how that worked out," Chloe said with a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. Max grimaced. Didn't work out well, obviously.

"But, uh, if it's any consolation, at least we got to meet up again," Max suggested, trying to offer a brighter side to this situation. Not that she was denying that Rachel missing was bad, because it definitely was bad.

"That's true, yeah…"

"Max, I've just been wondering ever since we saw Frank… how do you think he got Rachel's bracelet?"

"Chloe… I have no clue. Honestly? My brain is fried after I fainted and it's kinda hard to think right now," Max told her.

"Sorry, if it sounded like I snapped I didn't mean to," she added.

"It's fine, don't worry. I blew up at you earlier and was super shitty. You didn't snap, and even if you did, it's fine," Chloe assured her.

Silence filled the air for a few moments, before Chloe finally spoke up again.

"We haven't hung out like this since we were thirteen, and here we are again… it's really great."

"It is, I just wish we didn't have all this shit to deal with…" Max sighed.

"And I just wish Rachel was here with us."

"Do you… you think Rachel and I could have been friends? You're her girlfriend, and you're my best friend… I figure you would know best."

"You're both artists, you would get along so well. She has that touch with those types of things. And she's a little smartass, too. The three of us would be 'hella bff's'," Chloe explained, smiling widely at Max, Max now smiling back.

"I, uh, I wouldn't be a third wheel, would I?" Max asked nervously.

Chloe shook her head immediately after she asked that.

"No, of course not. You're my best friend, Max. And you would get along great with Rachel, so there's no way that would happen. Plus, we're not like, one of those weird lovey-dovey couples. Like, yeah we love each other but we wouldn't ignore you. Though we do kiss a lot— sometimes," Chloe explained, and Max giggled.

"You know, I never did peg you for the lovey-dovey type, Chloe," Max teased, and Chloe shook her head.

"She isn't really either… we work off each other really well," Chloe told her, looking down.

"Well, if you two are dating, she has to be as cool as you are. I'm really looking forward to meeting her," Max said.

"It's weird… railroad tracks always make me feel better…" Chloe mused after moments of silence.

"The romance of travel and movement," Max said abruptly.

"Jack Kerouac— he was a novelist and poet— he knew that. Like… the sound of a train whistle at night," she added.

"I didn't know you were a poet," Chloe joked.

"I'd rather be a photographer, you know that," Max said as she got up, walking around and pulling out the camera Chloe had given her to take a picture off by a small train house that was up a small hill nearby.

"You are, Max. You just need to stop being such a shrinking violet. Once that happens you'll be unstoppable," Chloe told her.

The words made Max feel warm, and she smiled to herself, looking through the viewfinder at the sky and sun through a chain-link fence and some tall metal structure, some sort of tower, or something.

"Ok Max, this is it…" she mumbled to herself, ready to take the shot.

When her head started to hurt like hell and she brought her hand to her head and closed her eyes.

Another vision.

The loud sound of the tornado rushing, lightning cracking from the sky, the tornado approaching closer and closer and closer to the bay and the town.

It was short lived, but it hurt like hell and was painful to experience.

"Max! Max help! I'm… I'm stuck!" she heard a voice shout, which managed to stir her from her vision. Max shot up to look around, before finally looking back at the train tracks, where Chloe was. It looked like she was yanking at her boot.

Max ran over as quickly as she could, moving in front of Chloe, and grabbing her hands.

"I'm here, I'll get you out," Max assured her.

Chloe pushed herself off the ground with one hand while getting pulled up by Max, but was still stuck, falling back into the ground.

When out of nowhere came a loud noise, not too far away.

"Shit, Max, the train is coming…" Chloe said nervously, gulping hard. Max was just about sweating now. She had to figure out some way to get Chloe out… she wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

"Don't worry, Chloe, I'll help you get out!" she told her, before taking a step back, looking up at the small train house up a small way in front of her. There'd have to be something she could do.

She ran past Chloe and ran up the path to the train house.

"Don't worry! I'm figuring something out!" she called to Chloe. Hopefully that would relieve her a bit, but if the train horn that was starting to become more and more frequent was any indication, it wouldn't do too much.

On top of a stack of cinder blocks there was a crowbar.

"Perfect," Max said to herself, picking it up and gripping it into her hand, before turning around to head back to Chloe. The train was still out of sight.

For now.

She jumped down the ledges, heading back to Chloe.

"Ok, I got a crowbar, I'll help you get out," she said, moving in front of and then kneeling in front of Chloe.

"Fuck, Max, you better not be thinking of beating my fucking foot off," Chloe said, clearly panicked.

"Of course not! Just— look, I'll try and wedge your foot out," Max said quickly, taking a deep breath as she started to position the crowbar to wedge between the railroad track and Chloe's boot.

The train horn came again, and when Chloe and Max looked over, they could see a rather large train passing around the bend, getting much closer.

"Fuck fuck fuck— Max— please hurry— please," Chloe said, now panicking much, much more.

"Ok, just… try and wiggle your foot around as best you can, I'm gonna… I'm gonna get you out," Max assured her.

 _"Max… if you're ever going to faint again, please don't let it be now. Please,"_ she thought— more of a prayer, really, as she wedged the crowbar in, Chloe wincing briefly.

"You're ok?" Max asked, starting to move the crowbar around, hoping this would work.

"Max, it's fine. I'd rather my foot hurt for a bit than be a smear on these tracks," Chloe said, half-jokingly. Probably to ease the tension.

It wasn't working too well.

The train was getting closer, and Max kept moving the crowbar around— having no clue if any of this was going to work.

Until Chloe finally managed to pull her foot out from under the train track and fell on her back on the railroad track. Max quickly turned around and ran, tossing the crowbar to the side, while Chloe pushed herself backwards, getting away from the train tracks on the opposite side of Max.

And no sooner than they were off the tracks, the train sped by, leaving just as quickly as it came. Both girls were panting heavily and sweating, and Chloe slowly walked over to Max, collapsing into a hug as soon as she was next to her best friend.

"Max… you saved me," she said quietly, her voice shaky— not at all like usual.

"Of course, I wouldn't leave you ever," Max told her, hugging back, the two barely able to stand up at this point.

"You've saved me three times now, I really owe you," Chloe told her, smiling, eventually letting go of Max.

"Hey, you being here is more than enough," Max said, a big smile on her face.

"I think… I think we've had enough adventure for today, Super-Max," Chloe said, putting an arm around her shoulder. Max did the same, and they started to head back to the junkyard.

"Yeah, I've had enough for today."

"Oh… you probably have to be back at school, huh?"

"Yeah… I should probably get back. I just have Mr. Jefferson's class left for today, and I don't think I should miss that."

"I'll drop you back off and then after you're done we can probably hang out some more."

"Let's just… do nothing and relax for the rest of the day, sound good?" Max asked as they finally reached Chloe's truck, Max walking over to the passenger's side and both girls getting in.

"Sounds good, Max."


	10. Out of Time

**[Content warning for misogynistic slurs and trigger warnings for suicide and suicidal ideation]**

 **This was a tough chapter to write, and I may have (probably) leaned on the original too much, but I did my best to handle this with as much care as it deserves to be handled with, as that was the most important thing to me in writing this chapter. With school heating up, fic updates will be slower, but I'll do my best to get the next two chapters (which will be in between episodes 2 and 3) out as soon as I can. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Edit: Realized I left tags in, sorry! Fixed that now and your reading experience should be much more enjoyable!**

* * *

Max had a lot of trouble staying awake on the drive back to Blackwell. Too much happened at the junkyard, and she had considered a few times now to just skip Mr. Jefferson's class and sleep for the rest of the day.

But she wanted to see Victoria and Kate, and she had to see how Kate was doing. Sadly, Max hadn't really gotten much done today in terms of finding evidence to help implicate and convict Nathan… but there'd have to be something. Maybe Victoria heard something at the Vortex Club meeting? She could only hope. They needed something to prove that Nathan had done something.

…Though hopefully Nathan didn't hurt Kate while she was gone. The fact that she hadn't heard from her since this morning didn't leave her feeling all that good.

"How ya feelin', Max?" Chloe asked, glancing over to Max. Her eyes were closed and her head was turned towards the window. Max wanted to sleep, but knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Tired… I just want to sleep, honestly. Our little adventure… really took a lot out of me," Max sighed.

"Do you want to just go to my house and we can relax for the night? I'm sure Joyce won't mind if you play hooky and just hang out for the day," Chloe suggested with a small shrug.

"Nah… I really shouldn't. I already feel bad enough that I probably won't even turn anything in for the Everyday Heroes contest. I probably should show up. I can always just nod off throughout class and ask Victoria and Kate what I missed," Max told her. She felt obligated to go. Even though she really didn't want to.

"If you're sure. Just let me know when you're done and I can always pick you up after class. Just don't pass out until I get there," Chloe smirked.

"Honestly, I might need you to actually pick me up and take me back to your house. Like, with your arms," Max joked weakly. Every so often she felt under her nose— the idea of having another nosebleed scared the hell out of her. What was even happening with that?

"You are such a dork," Chloe laughed, shaking her head a bit.

"…You would do it though, wouldn't you?" Max asked, smiling to herself. She wouldn't mind Chloe or Victoria picking her up and carrying her to a bed.

Not that she'd be able to tell Chloe that. Maybe Victoria, but not Chloe…

Though the idea of Victoria carrying Max to her bed seemed laughable. Sure Victoria turned out to be pretty sweet, but she also seemed like she'd hate to have to carry someone to a bed, like she'd mess up her manicure or something.

Max was sure she could figure out a way to get Victoria to carry her.

"Sure I would," Chloe replied simply.

"…But only if you call me ma'am first," she added with a grin. Chloe couldn't see it, but Max was bright red— again. This was not really helping her feelings.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Probably not. If you didn't let it bother you so much I probably wouldn't say it, you know," Chloe told her.

"Sometimes you are the worst, Chloe."

"But I'm still your best friend," Chloe told her simply.

"Yeah, you're still my best friend," Max said, turning to face her, her blush now gone, smiling at her best friend. It was nice being able to spend time with Chloe like this. It wasn't quite like the old days, but it was something. They were getting closer and closer again, even after Max thought there was no hope at that yesterday.

Maybe a movie night sleepover could be in the cards… after this week, of course.

"You're still mine, too."

The words kept Max smiling, though the two remained quiet for the rest of the drive back to Blackwell. Max wanted to rest up a bit, and Chloe was fine with that. After being held up by Frank and the whole train incident… she was more than fine staying quiet for a bit. A first for her, really.

Finally, Chloe's truck stopped in front of Blackwell, and Max groaned, eyes closed, not yet wanting to go back— though she knew she had to.

"Five more minutes?" Max asked, whining a bit.

"Up and at 'em, Max. You gotta be a big girl and go to your important photography lesson so you can be world famous someday soon," Chloe told her, nudging her shoulder.

"Fine, fine, I'll get going," Max said, unbuckling the seatbelt and picking up her messenger bag from the floor of the truck, and opening the door, starting to get out.

"You'll text me when you're done, yeah?" Chloe asked, and Max turned to look at her, nodding.

"Yeah, it'll probably be a little while though, so don't feel like you have to wait around," she told her.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure if I do then I'll get hounded by step-dick a bunch. I'll probably be off doing stuff or… something, until I hear from you."

"Just… be safe. Try not to get into anything with Frank while I'm gone?" Max asked. She didn't want Chloe hurt, especially after what had happened earlier. She was even a little scared to let Chloe go off on her own.

But Chloe was a big girl, she could handle herself. She was probably able to handle herself against Frank in the past. She was tougher than herself, Chloe could handle anything.

Max would need that from her this week.

"Believe me, last thing I'm going to do today is try and find Frank. I'll probably just go chill somewhere, don't worry about me. Besides, you're the one that has to face step-ass and Nathan, I'm more worried about you," Chloe said.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I handled both of them yesterday, I'll… I'll be fine," Max tried to assure Chloe. Though she was tired, so she _really_ hoped she wouldn't have to put up with either of their bullshit right now.

"Awesome. So I'll hear from you later?" Chloe asked, and Max nodded.

"Yeah, I'll text you later," Max said, leaning in and giving Chloe a hug. Chloe was a bit surprised, but hugged back.

The two let go, and Max waved goodbye before getting out of the car and taking off in a jog towards the main building of Blackwell Academy, while Chloe closed the passenger side door and drove off. Rain had started up when they had started to drive back, and it was nice and soothing.

Cool Oregon fall with the rain was one of Max's favorite things.

As she came into the building, Max slowed into a walk, feeling absolutely exhausted all of a sudden. She truly wanted to just go to her dorm, but with how she hadn't turned in a picture for the Everyday Heroes contest, she figured that Jefferson would chew her ass out if she skipped class. Though honestly, she was proving herself to be a bit of an everyday hero so far this week, and with everything she had been doing, that contest was the last thing in her mind.

Her goal was now was to get to the classroom and rest her eyes some more before class started. The rain would probably help her fall asleep… and then she'd get yelled at by Jefferson.

 _Sigh._

There was probably no winning today.

She looked around to see people around, talking, but she didn't want any of it right now.

"Oh, Maxine! Over here, chéri!" a voice called out to her. Victoria? She was the only she really knew that spoke a little French to add to her flair. She looked around, seeing Courtney at a table with a Vortex Club banner, waving her over.

 _"What does Courtney want with me? …I don't have the best feeling about this,"_ Max thought, taking in a deep breath before walking over to the table.

"Oh… hey Courtney. What's up? Need something?" Max asked, quirking an eyebrow. Courtney was sitting there, with a clipboard and pen, looking "I'm so much better than you" as always.

"So, um, this is going to sound so weird, but, for reasons beyond my comprehension, you're being… formally invited as a VIP— that's a very important person— to Thursday night's End of the World Party," Courtney told her, forcing a smile. Max was utterly taken aback.

"…Really?"

"Yes, so when you come by Thursday, you'll be allowed into the VIP section," Courtney told her.

"Why, though?" Max asked. She was sure Victoria had everything to do with it, but asking wouldn't hurt.

"Look, it doesn't matter. It's your first Vortex Club party and we have a dress code, so on Thursday I'll need you to text me so we can meet up and I can make sure you don't look so… dire," Courtney told her, a rather disgusted look on her face as she examined Max's simple shirt, hoodie, and jeans.

"Um… sure thing, thanks, Courtney. I'll see you later," Max said, waving as she started to walk away, Courtney waving back.

"Au revoir, Maxine," she said, rolling her eyes to herself. Courtney was just as confused as Max was about her being allowed to enter the vortex.

Once Max was in the hallway away from the lobby, she pulled out her phone.

And while she meant to text Victoria, there was a message from… yup, Warren.

 _"Hey, Max! I'm in the science room, stop by real quick! I could always use your help with this lab!"_

…No thank you. Plus, Warren was way smarter than she was, how would he need her help?

It was _probably_ a bit rude, but Victoria was first on her list to talk to.

 _"So I guess I'm invited to the End of the World party? You wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?"_

Max grinned to herself. She knew Victoria was the only reason it had happened, but it would be fun to see what she said.

Right after, Max moved herself to the wall of lockers, to make sure she wasn't in anyone's way.

 _ **Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.**_

God, she texted really quick.

 _"Thursday night you will be the Very Important Person for me and me alone :)"_

 _"Oh my god you're such a dork Victoria you're so adorable."_

 _"So you'll go with me?"_

 _"Just promise to keep me safe?"_

 _"Promise."_

 _"Then I'll go."_

 _"I'm excited. We'll make sure you look absolutely fabulous."_

 _"Fashion help from you is super exciting, I won't lie. I'll see you in a bit. Maxoxo"_

 _"Xoxoxo"_

Max smiled. Victoria really wanted to make sure she'd be ok, and was treating her so well. It meant the world to her.

…Maybe there was a chance they'd actually become something after all. Victoria was putting a lot of work into trying to make something out of this— Max just felt bad she wasn't able to put in enough energy for them right now.

But she did have a valid reason for that, at least.

Though, as tempted as she was to not text Warren back, she knew he would simply keep texting her— it was better to just tackle it head on than hide. Max was starting to get a little too used to having to tackle problems head on lately, as opposed to just sitting back and letting things happen like she always did before… Plus there was the whole fact that not responding would be rude.

 _"Hey Warren, sorry, I'm probably just going to go into Jefferson's classroom and rest my eyes until class starts, sorry"_

Max slowly started to walk down the hall, but was instantly pulled to her phone once it buzzed.

 _":/ Hope you feel better, let me know if you need anything!"_

Max sighed, but what was she supposed to say at this point? She didn't want to be mean…

 _"Thanks Warren, good luck with your science lab!"_

Max pocketed her phone and continued to head down the hall, seeing Kate as she came closer and closer to Jefferson's class.

And she was talking with Mr. Jefferson?

She didn't want to be rude and eavesdrop… but she was curious about what was going on.

"Please, Mr. Jefferson, you have to believe me," Kate begged. The distress in her voice, that didn't sound good… What was happening?

"Kate, this isn't the time for this," he said coldly— almost uncharacteristically so. Max took a silent step forward, not wanting to pull them out of the conversation, but she had to hear. She had to know what was going on.

"Please… you have to help. Why won't you help me?" Kate asked, in tears now.

"Kate…" Max mouthed silently to herself. Her heart was breaking over this. Just when things seemed like they could potentially turn around for her, they ground to a halt…

…Why was Mr. Jefferson acting like this? He always seemed to be there for his students.

At least the ones in the Vortex Club.

"Kate, as a teacher, I'm in a very tricky position on this. You have to understand me when I tell you this," he tried to explain, as Kate shook her head and started to walk away, passing Max quickly, sobbing to herself.

"But you won't understand me…" she said to herself, still crying.

Max was going to figure out what was wrong. She quickly ran to catch up with Kate, walking alongside her.

Kate turned her head so as to not look at Max.

"Kate… Kate what's wrong?"

"Max, please, I don't want to talk right now."

She kept walking, and Max felt powerless. Despite everything she did yesterday, everything she did today.

This was something she couldn't solve, and she felt defeated. Though she couldn't imagine how Kate must have felt right now. Not even Jefferson, who was always seen by everyone as the cool teacher who was there for everyone. It was pissing Max off how everyone was just abandoning Kate and leaving her to suffer.

"But, Kate…"

"Max, I need some space right now," she told her as Max stopped, leaving Kate to keep walking on without her.

"I'll— I'll talk to you later, Kate? After class?" she asked.

No response. Kate just rounded the corner, probably off to leave the building. As much as Max wanted to follow to make sure Kate was going to be ok, she had no clue if that was the right thing. Maybe Kate just… just needed an hour or so for herself, to calm down. And then after class they could form their plan of attack, have some tea and calm down.

Everything was going to be ok.

Max sighed, she hoped everything would be ok at least.

That wasn't the way to think. She had time rewind powers and she had three awesome, badass women backing her up— her three best friends. Everything would be fine.

Max turned around and started to walk over to Mr. Jefferson, maybe he'd be able to explain his poor handling of this situation that Max could relay to Kate.

That would patch up everything.

Though maybe she'd have to skip hanging out with Chloe to spend some time with Kate this afternoon. She needed it. As much as Max did want to spend a bunch of time with Chloe now that they were reconnecting, Kate was one of her best friends at Blackwell— probably her best friend there, she needed to dedicate time to her too, especially with how much she was hurting.

She couldn't help but sigh, as that probably meant she wouldn't be spending a date night with Victoria either.

 _"Victoria won't mind, Max. Kate is important to you, and you need to be there for her… Even if you really want to have pizza with Victoria,"_ she thought, shaking her head. She wouldn't ignore Kate, she'd make sure of it.

"Um, Mr. Jefferson? Kate… Kate really isn't doing well right now…" she started once she finally reached her teacher.

"Max, I assure you, this is being discussed by the faculty. Though, I assume you've seen this viral video Kate starred in?" he asked.

Starred? That just made it sound so… gross. Though it was probably just the artist side of him, if anything.

"I never watched it, but Kate is terrified by it. Everyone has been giving her shit today…" she tried to explain to him. She was just hoping he would understand.

"Max, do you think maybe she's hiding the truth? That maybe she's not all that she seems at times?" he suggested, and Max was taken aback. What the fuck!? He did not just actually suggest that.

"Mr. Jefferson, please. I've talked with Kate a bunch today. She's really torn up over this. She's not just putting on some act. She is really, really hurting," she told him. Hopefully he would actually see reason with this…

"I just… I don't want Kate to become the next Rachel Amber, Mr. Jefferson," she added, biting her lip. It wasn't exactly a great thought.

"What would Rachel Amber have to do with Kate, Max?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow as he focused on her.

"I— I don't really know. Just… seeing all the posters of Rachel around town, and now with what's happening with Kate… it's making me nervous," she told him, and he shook his head.

"Rachel was nothing like Kate, Max," he said simply.

Harsh…

"Though, Principal Wells did tell me you said you saw Nathan with a gun in the women's room yesterday? With Victoria?" he asked, and Max's eyes widened. Principal Wells told someone else? Even after saying it would just be between them? What the hell?

"Y-Yeah, I did…"

"That's a serious accusation, Max. You know that you can't blame someone of that lightly," he told her sternly. Great, now someone else who worked for the school who didn't believe her about this. Nathan just had too much power at Blackwell and she was beginning to think that saying anything in the first place was the worst idea ever. Chloe was right.

"Mr. Jefferson, you know me… I wouldn't make something like this up," she begged, trying to reason with him. For whatever reason, her teacher just wasn't seeing things today…

"Max, you're a wonderful, brilliant student. I would love to believe you on this, but Nathan is also a great student— one of my best. Plus, there's just a lot of drama surrounding you this week. I'm sorry, but I—" he explained, before the ringing of his smartphone sounded.

"Excuse me, Max," he started as he plucked his phone out of his pocket and looked at it.

"I really should take this. Just head into class, I'll be there in a minute," he told her, pressing the screen of his phone.

"Hello? Yes? Oh, don't worry, I have a little bit of time before my class starts. What do you need?" he asked whoever was on the other end as he took a few steps to the end of the hall to talk in peace. It probably wouldn't have been wise to stand next to him in hopes of eavesdropping. What would have even been the point of that, anyways…?

With a small sigh and nod, Max headed into her art class, feeling more defeated than before she talked to her photography teacher.

The small art classroom always was busy before class, but for some reason it seemed even busier than usual. Stella and Alyssa were talking by the bulletin board, while Dana was posing for Taylor and Hayden, who were snapping picture after picture of her.

 _"Dana is going to make a fantastic model one day. If she ever decides to pursues that,"_ Max thought, as she continued to scan the room, seeing Daniel sit at his usual spot, drawing as usual.

And then of course, Victoria… and Nathan? They were sitting on Max's table talking. What was happening? Here Max thought Nathan hated her now… this wasn't all a trick, was it? No, there was no way.

She had to… she had to just be keeping up appearances or something. Max felt her stomach knot up, feeling sick now. That had to be it. She hoped— prayed that was the reason. That they weren't actually friends still, that she just had to do this.

Max took a nervous step forward, suddenly feeling weak in the knees.

"That bitch is probably going to cry when she sees us sitting here," Nathan said with an obnoxious laugh as Max took another slow step forward. She was nervous what Victoria's reactions were to all this.

"Little twee bitch thinks she can get one up on the Vortex Club and try and fuck me over? Doesn't know who she's messing with," he continued. Victoria was still silent.

One more step. She gulped hard. Part of her just wanted to run, honestly. Just turn around and leave and head to her dorm. If Victoria was still buddy-buddy with Nathan… Max wouldn't know what to think.

"I can't wait to see her reaction…"

Max took a deep breath and briefly shut her eyes hard, before exhaling and opening her eyes, stepping around to face Victoria and Nathan.

Nathan looked like he was having a good time and laughing at her expense, and much to Max's relief— though maybe chagrin, as she thought about it more— Victoria was silent and looked somber.

"Look who it is Victoria, it's our little friend," he said, glaring at Max. His tone light and jokey, but she could feel a biting harshness in his words.

"Just because you fucked with me, doesn't mean I'm ruined. I own this school, Max. You ain't shit," he sneered.

Victoria stayed silent, staring at her hands folded in her lap. She didn't even seem like she wanted to be there. Nathan bumped her side with his elbow.

"Right, Vic? She ain't shit, right?" he said, egging her on, clearly. What was she going to say?

Victoria looked up after a moment, staring at Max.

"He's… He's right. You— you aren't shit, Maxine," she said, clearly having trouble getting the words out, frowning.

Nathan either didn't care or didn't notice the trouble that Victoria had saying it— he was too busy bursting up into laughter.

Max stayed focused on Victoria, and Victoria the same.

 _"Sorry,"_ she mouthed, and Max nodded, internally letting out a sigh of relief.

At least Victoria wasn't playing her.

…

…No, she wasn't.

"Um, if either of you don't mind, I would like to sit at my desk and just relax… It's been a long day," Max told them quietly, and Nathan stopped laughing shortly after, glaring at her.

"Wow Caulfield, not as tough as yesterday, huh? Still just a little bitch," he bit back at her, a grin on his face. Victoria tapped his shoulder.

"Come on Nathan, she's… she's not worth our time," she said, eyes locked on Max the whole time.

"Yeah, you're right Vic," he said, getting up off the table and walking over to the corner of the room.

 _"Thanks,"_ Max mouthed and Victoria gave her a small smile before standing up and walking off to meet with Nathan, arms crossed.

Clearly she wasn't too happy.

 _"I wish_ _ **we**_ _could talk before class,"_ Max thought with a small sigh as she pulled out her chair, nearly collapsing into it. The weight of today was on her shoulders and she almost felt like she couldn't get up. She didn't want to. She wanted to sleep and wake up and it just be that morning in Victoria's room, and everything today wouldn't have happened and nothing would happen but a nice week.

That was a long-shot.

As soon as Max was about to lay her head on the table…

…In came Warren.

 _Great._

She sighed. She didn't hate Warren.

This just wasn't the best week for this all.

…And that wasn't even considering the killer tornado.

Another sigh.

As Warren walked over and sat on Max's table, Max lifted her head up, pushing herself up with her elbows, resting her arms on the table.

"Hey, feeling any better?" he asked, looking at her. Max shrugged.

"A little, I'm just exhausted. It's… this week has been hella rough so far, Warren," she told him, leaning back, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Hella? I don't think I've heard you say that ever," he said, a bit surprised, but playing it off with a laugh.

"I've… just heard it a lot lately, you know. I guess it's coming back into style," she said.

That was a lie, it wasn't.

It was all just Chloe.

"Oh, um, by the way Warren… have you seen Kate at all today? Or talked to her?" she asked. With how Kate just about ran out of the hall just a few minutes ago, Max was worried. She couldn't not be worried.

This whole situation, Kate running out…

It wasn't good.

He shook his head.

"No— well, I mean, I saw her, but I didn't talk to her. She was leaving the building pretty fast. Pretty sure she was going back to her dorm… she looked upset," he told her.

He saw her and didn't do anything? Warren, what the fuck!?

"Why didn't you do anything?" she asked.

Max wanted to scream at him, but that would only make things worse.

"Well— I'm not good with that stuff— sorry… she looked upset and I thought me going over and saying something would just upset her more." he told her, looking down.

He was right, he might not have been the best person to handle this situation, but still. They were friends— he should have done something! Or at least let her know right away!

"It's… fine, Warren. I'll probably go see her right after class is over. She's hurting right now… and I need to be there for her," she said, to Warren, and just to remind herself in general.

"You're a great friend Max, Kate is lucky to have you," Warren told her, patting her shoulder reassuringly.

"I hope she is. There's more I could do for her…" Max mumbled, sighing. She had been putting Chloe— and especially Victoria— ahead of her best friend right now, and it wasn't fair to Kate in the slightest. Kate needed her, and Max was barely there for her today.

Kate deserved so much better.

"I mean, it seems like you're having a rough week, Max. If you're not one hundred percent, you can't blame yourself for that," he tried to assure her.

But a lot of her focus right now was on Victoria and Chloe. Sure there was other stuff, but those two were a big focus… even before the tornado at times.

Sure, she wasn't one hundred percent, but—

 _ **Rrrrring. Rrrrring. Rrrrring.**_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bell, and she had lost what she was about to say as she saw Mr. Jefferson start to walk in.

"Ok, ok, I know you all love to be around me, but if you're not in my class, you don't need to be here," he said, waving his hand towards the direction of the door.

Warren got up off the table, waving goodbye to Max as he and several other people— including Nathan— left the classroom, Mr. Jefferson now pacing around like usual. After a moment, he sat down on the other half of the table Daniel was at.

"Kate… still isn't here?" he asked, looking over at Kate's table and empty chair before setting his hands down on the table to steady himself. Max looked over too, unnerved by it. Kate had run off somewhere, and Max just hoped it was to her dorm room to cry.

Jefferson's gaze finally turned away from Kate's table as he got up from his seat, now pacing around the class again— as he normally did when he lectured.

"Today," he started, his voice… surprisingly stern, "we're going to be talking about chiaroscuro, which I'm sure is a word you all know from 'chiaroscuro shading' in drawing, and for photography it's the same. The contrast between light and dark— similar to the idea of yin and yang," he kept going on, walking around the class.

As sneakily as Max could, she hid her phone in her lap, all to text Victoria.

 _"Hey, I'm sorry but I might just hang out with Kate after class. I think she really needs it. You don't mind, do you? I'm really sorry…"_

Not a second after she sent it, and Victoria's phone buzzed— loudly. She was glad when Mr. Jefferson didn't react to it— he was still going on about chiaroscuro.

Victoria's gaze met Max, and she shook her head— and Max felt relieved. They would get a rain-check, but Kate needed Max right now, and Max needed to be there for her.

Maybe even Victoria could come along and help— show Kate that she cared too. It would probably really help out. Show that Nathan's bullying couldn't stop the friendship she had and the people who cared about her.

"While we don't see in monochrome—"

Suddenly, one of the Bigfoots— Zachary— burst into Jefferson's class, alerting everyone instantly.

"Some crazy shit is happening down by the dorms!" he shouted, before quickly running out of the doorway and down the hall.

…Oh God.

Max had an intensely bad feeling about this already, and could feel her stomach knotting up again.

Everyone was already getting up and starting to head out the door. Max and Victoria were next to each other as they were starting to run out.

"Max— do you think it's…" she started, the two keeping up pace for a second.

Max was silent, taking a deep breath. As Taylor came up to Victoria, she grabbed her arm, pulling her away.

"Come on Vic, let's go," she told her, and Victoria looked back, offering a small wave. She was frowning. Whatever was happening…

It wasn't good.

"Everyone, please remain seated!" Mr. Jefferson called out, though just about everyone was already out the door and into the hall, sighing once everyone had left.

The run to the dorms had probably been the most stressful run in Max's life— more than any mile in middle school P.E. had been. It was pouring rain now, and Max just _knew_. This was bad.

…And she couldn't get her mind off Kate, now.

As she started to reach the dorms, her walk slowed— her body felt heavy— she felt like she was about to collapse. She heard people shouting, but was barely able to make out voices or words. Her brain felt like it was running in slow motion.

She made it past the smaller building next to the dorm, to see what everyone was looking at.

Kate.

On the roof.

On the edge of the roof.

She wanted to scream, to tell Kate not to jump, but it was too late.

She was falling.

Max clenched her eyes shut and moved out her hand, rewinding time, before opening them again. She felt her vision blur intensely— she couldn't see— and her head was pounding— her nose bleeding again.

She moved her arm down and looked up to see Kate jump. Again.

 _"No… this can't happen. Please…"_

She was in shock at what was happening, how her powers were barely working.

She was just glad that there were so many people in the way so she couldn't see the front steps of the dorm.

 _"I can't keep… I can't keep rewinding…"_

Max rewound time again, though she was much more strained. She was watching Kate go back to the roof slowly— and she felt like any second she wouldn't be able to do it anymore. That she would just stop and see Kate fall for good.

Right after Kate had made it back onto the roof, Max's hand shook, and everything around her…

…Froze?

Kate was on the rooftop, but she was perfectly still, ready to jump, but unmoving.

Even the rain around her was… frozen in midair.

 _"Max… this is it… you can… you can save Kate…"_

She kept her hand outstretched as she slowly walked towards the front steps. She felt like she was going to collapse. Part of her wanted to— to wake up and find out that it was just Monday morning.

But that wouldn't happen, and if she stopped now Kate would suffer for it.

Victoria was huddled up nervously with Courtney and Taylor.

Nathan had a front row seat to watch Kate… asshole.

And there was David Madsen, running to the door.

Maybe if he hadn't been so busy giving her shit, he would actually make it there in time.

…Or she wouldn't be jumping in the first place.

Max finally made it into the dorm building, and it was going to be a long walk up the stairs.

But if she failed, Kate was going to suffer for it.

She couldn't fail.

She was going to save Kate no matter what.

It felt like a lifetime slowly walking through the dorms, up the stairs, all to get to the roof.

…But it was no time at all.

She just hoped that keeping her hand held out like this was going to keep time frozen.

And as curious as she was about even being able to do this, that was the last concern right now.

It was all about Kate Marsh.

To protect Kate Marsh.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she made it up to the roof. Time was still stopped. She took another step forward, then nearly fell over, her head throbbing again for a split second as time reverted back to normal.

Max stretched out her arm again— with any luck, she'd be able to stop time again, make it over to Kate and make sure she wouldn't jump.

When she tried, her head throbbed, and her nose started bleeding again. Her powers weren't working.

"Ugh…" she groaned, gripping her head for a moment as Kate turned around.

"Why are you here, Max?"

Max froze.

Did Kate… did Kate not want her here?

"Kate, I'm here for you," Max told her, ready to collapse and cry. She couldn't handle this.

But that didn't matter. How did Kate feel?

She was the one up here. She was the one who had jumped.

Twice.

"No one… no one is here for me. No one cares about me," Kate told her, trembling, about to burst into tears.

"Kate, I promise, I'm here for you," Max assured her. Kate had to understand that Max would be there for her no matter what.

"You… I know you are Max," Kate said, nodding to herself as she looked at her. Max gulped and took a step forward.

"Max— Max don't come any closer. I will jump," she threatened, and Max instinctively stepped back, back to where she was.

"No one else is though," Kate added.

"That video… that video has ruined my life, Max. My family, my church, everyone here. Everyone has seen it, everyone saw what I did and I can't change that," she cried. Max felt her heart breaking slowly.

"Kate, that video— Courtney and Taylor put a link to it on the bathroom mirror. I got rid of it. And Victoria has told people to stop watching it and chewed them out. Dana, Juliet, they didn't watch the video. They won't," Max explained. Max had put the effort to make sure the girls had stopped, and they did. Even Victoria proved she wasn't the ice queen she normally was today.

"Victoria… did? Really?" Kate asked, bewildered. Max nodded.

"Victoria is sorry for everything she's done. I won't speak for her, but she is sorry, and you have to know that. Her and I… all of us are here for you, I promise. You have to believe that."

Everything felt still, besides the rain still pouring. Max could hear people talking, words inaudible, but nervous chatter was happening.

"I want to believe you Max, it's just… it's hard. Knowing what's happened to me— what might have happened," Kate told her.

"I feel so weary. I just need to sleep," she added.

"Then come down Kate! You can sleep and relax and be better and— and all of the girls here— we'll all be here for you!" Max said. She was trying her best. She didn't know what to say, what to do. She had no powers in case she said the wrong thing.

She was powerless like she had never been before in the past few days.

"That's not what I mean, Max. If I jump, then it's just— it's over. I don't have to worry about this anymore. I won't have to worry about what anyone thinks ever again. I'll be at peace for the first time this whole month," Kate told her. She was hurting this badly this whole time, and Max only really knew about it now.

"Kate… Please don't. So many people will miss you. The girls here, your sisters, your dad… I'll… I'd miss you. We all love you. I know… I know some of the girls here haven't treated you the best, but I know, if you come down, they'll treat you like you deserve to be treated."

If Victoria was turning around, Courtney and Taylor could too. And from there, it wouldn't be too hard for Kate to see that everyone cared for her and wouldn't stand for her being harassed.

"You've told me your sisters love you more than anything. No matter what, they would never be disappointed in you. Hearing how you've talked about them, I know they care about you, and they just want you to be happy— they want to see you well! Your dad too!"

Kate had talked about her father— who, while a devout Christian, ultimately cared about Kate first and foremost, even when her mother had been harsh in the past. And her sisters— they sounded like the sweetest girls in the world.

Just like Kate.

"You're right, Max… you're right."

"Kate, we can do it— we can beat people like Nathan Prescott. We can show them that they can't beat us no matter what. You're my best friend, Kate, and even if I haven't always been there for you… I will now. I promise."

Kate was now crying, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Max, you're my best friend. You're the best person I could have ever met here…" Kate said, taking one step off the ledge, then another.

She did it.

Kate stumbled towards Max, the two falling into a hug with each other, both now sobbing, slowly dropping to the floor.

"Thank you Max…"

"Kate, I promise… I'll figure this out. I won't let you down."

Max closed her eyes, holding onto Kate— not even realizing that David Madsen had come up to the roof finally.

"Ok, ok girls, let's get down from here," he told the two. When Max opened her eyes— and finally broke away from Kate— she noticed another police officer there with him, as well as a paramedic.

"You'll come with me, Kate?" Max asked, looking at her.

Wiping her eyes, she nodded.

"I will," she said quietly.

The two were escorted back outside, where most of the students were cheering for Kate as she came out— and Max for helping her. Max looked over at Victoria, who had tears in her eyes, her mouth covered with one hand. Everyone who was there was glad Kate was ok. Hopefully that would give Kate the strength to keep going on.

It took Max a minute to notice that Kate was being led off with the paramedics.

"Kate? Kate!" Max shouted, as David stopped her.

"She'll be alright, Max. They just need to take her to the hospital for a few days. To make sure she's doing ok," he told her, and Max nodded, silent. "You're going to see Principal Wells. He wants to talk to you," he added.

…And Max gulped, nervous about what this was going to be about.

When Max walked into Principal Wells's office, she saw people she didn't expect to see there. She thought it would just be her and Principal Wells.

But Mr. Jefferson and Nathan were there too.

This was… this was big, and Max was scared. Max sat down in a chair next to Nathan, across from the principal, while David moved to the other side of the room, opposite the wall Mr. Jefferson was standing by.

"Today… today has been a very tough day on everyone. But I would like to thank you personally, on behalf of Blackwell, for what you did to save Kate, Max," he said, his voice the same stern, almost booming voice it always was— even in this situation.

"I… I couldn't just sit by and do nothing, Principal Wells. Kate is important to me," she explained, looking down at her hands folded together in her lap.

"Max is a real hero," Mr. Jefferson piped up.

"As the principal here at Blackwell, I take the well-being of my students very seriously— and what happened today should never happen in a school," he started again.

"Those doors to the roof of the dorms should always be locked, Mr. Madsen, but they were not," he said, looking over at the school's security guard, before standing up and walking behind his chair, his gaze then turning to Mr. Jefferson. David looked down in silence, almost… upset?

"And Mr. Jefferson— you should have realized something was wrong when Kate didn't show up to class, with how much of an exemplary student she's always been."

"I—" Mr. Jefferson started, before Principal Wells shook his head, now turning to Nathan.

"And, Mr. Prescott. You're the one responsible for the Vortex Club parties. And while the Vortex Club is Blackwell's longest standing, most prestigious club, since Kate was at the last party, I will have to ask you some more questions," he said, moving to sit back down in his chair— Nathan sneering at him.

Geez, he didn't even care that he was doing that to the principal.

"Though, Miss Caulfield, I do have to ask why you were on the roof with Miss Marsh?" he asked, leaning forward, and Max froze.

"If Kate told you anything at all, please, tell me."

"Kate was at the Vortex Club party last week and Nathan put something in her drink. He drugged her!" she said without hesitation. All eyes were on Max as soon as she said it.

"She ended up getting really wasted and started kissing a bunch of guys. She doesn't remember it. He took video of it and that's the viral video everyone has been harassing her about."

"Whatever! She knew what she was doing, Caulfield. She was drunk as hell and she was just getting with every guy she could— she didn't care," he told the principal, eyes narrowed.

"Don't lie, Nathan. You told Kate you would take her to the emergency room. You didn't take her. You took her— you took her somewhere else and did something to her," Max said, turning to face him. He hurt Kate, he wasn't going to get away with it.

"She sobered up! She didn't need to go!" Nathan said, dismissing it with no trouble, and Max just turned red, glaring at him.

"What about you waving a gun at Victoria Chase in the girl's room, then?"

"Hey, that's fucking slander. I will sue your ass if you keep that up! That didn't happen, Caulfield!" he shouted, both of their faces an inch or two away from each other.

"Please, please, both of you calm down," Principal Wells urged, waving for both of them to move away. Max and Nathan reluctantly moved back to their original positions in their chairs.

"Since Mr. Prescott was featured prominently in that viral video— and because of what you told me about the incident in the women's room yesterday, Miss Caulfield, I have no choice but to suspend him until further notice," he said.

"Good luck with that," he sneered, crossing his arms. It was… kind of scary.

…But he was actually getting suspended?

That… that was the first real victory. Finally, justice against Nathan Prescott.

"Principal Wells, if I may. I feel Max and Nathan need a break before we question them any further. It's been an incredibly long, trying day. Kate Marsh tried to kill herself— they don't need this right now," Mr. Jefferson said, looking over at the two.

"I'm so devastated right now, Principal Wells. I would feel so much better with my family," Nathan said. His voice so deadpan and uncaring.

The piece of shit.

"Alright then. Miss Caulfield, please sign here to confirm what you just told us today," Principal Wells said, grabbing a pen and a long, word-filled piece of paper and handing them to her.

With no hesitation, Max signed her name.

 _Maxine Caulfield_

"Thank you, I'll continue the investigation from here on out— and I'll be helping the police out with further inquiries. Thank you all for coming in," he said, David Madsen escorting Mr. Jefferson and the two students from the room.

Max left the main building of Blackwell, looking around. There was no one around, so she started to head back to the dorms. She pulled her phone out— she had to let Chloe know first.

 _"Hey, I dunno if we can hang out tonight"_

 _"Wtf? Why?"_

 _"Kate tried to kill herself. I saw her jump off the roof twice before I was barely able to save her."_

 _"Holy shit Max I'm so sorry. Is she ok?"_

 _"They took her to the hospital to watch her for a few days._

 _"I'm so sorry Max, I know she's your best friend."_

 _"So another time?"_

 _"Yeah… I have some stuff to do tonight anyways."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Investigating. I'll let u know when I find something out."_

 _"Please stay safe Chloe."_

 _"I will Max. Talk to you soon."_

 _"If you find something out, let me know asap."_

 _"I will."_

Max sighed. At this point she was probably just going to sleep for a day. It wasn't even that late, but Max was… exhausted.

"Hey."

Max freaked out. She was so tired she could barely process who was speaking— and could barely even process the words.

She looked off to her side, Victoria. Max gave her a small smile, even if it was hard to even muster up the energy to do so. Victoria walked over.

"You're a real hero, you know. Three lives in two days," Victoria said, smiling, wrapping an arm around her. "Come on, rest your head on me, you look like you're about to pass out," she added, and Max nodded slowly, resting her head on her chest.

"Thanks… but I just did what I had to do. Kate is my best friend."

"Well you're a hero to me, Max."

Max smiled, staying silent.

"I know you're tired— but do you want to rest in my room? We can just have a quiet night if you want," Victoria suggested.

"That… I would like that, if you don't mind," Max said, her voice barely more than a mumble.

"I'd love that. Now come on, let's go. You deserve a night off with as much as you've been doing so far this week," Victoria said with a small laugh.

"If you say so. There's still a lot to do," Max told her. "Nathan got suspended because of yesterday and the party," she added, and Victoria was more than a bit shocked.

"I'm surprised Principal Wells actually had the nerve to do that… I can only imagine how wild he'll make Thursday night's party in response," Victoria mused.

"I'm not sure I want to find out."

"I'll keep you safe, I promise," Victoria assured her.

She was too nice. Did Max even deserve someone like Victoria— or Chloe?

Suddenly, the two of them could hear people talking from a distance— gasping more like. What was happening? The two of them turned towards the horizon to see…

…An eclipse?

What… what was happening?

"You're seeing this too, right?" Victoria asked. Max nodded slowly and silently. After a few moments, she finally spoke up.

"I'm scared for the rest of this week, Victoria. After today… the snow, this eclipse, with Kate… things are so real… so terrifying."

"Everything is going to be fine, Max. You can handle whatever is thrown your way. And we'll be here behind you. We aren't leaving your side. I'm not leaving your side."


	11. Forgive Me For I Have Sinned

**First of two chapters that will take place between the episode 2 and episode 3 equivalents! This is exploring Chloe a bit more, her thoughts, and what she spends her time doing before heading back to Blackwell at night. Hope you all like it!**

* * *

 _"If you find something out, let me know asap."_

 _"I will."_

Chloe sighed.

What the hell was happening? Kate tried to kill herself?

Chloe didn't know Kate Marsh— she wasn't at Blackwell when Chloe was there, or even when Rachel was still there. Though even if they did attend Blackwell at the same time, with the little she knew about Kate, she had a feeling they wouldn't have hung out much.

…But Kate and Max were friends, and Chloe had to respect that.

"You're not gonna lose Max, stupid. Just because Kate's her best friend doesn't mean you still aren't too," Chloe mumbled to herself, sitting on the bench by the lighthouse, staring out at the town. She told Max she was going to investigate, but, well… that was a lie. She just wanted to get away for a while and clear her head.

But she wasn't going to lie, she was pissed she wouldn't get to hang out with her more. Her girlfriend had been gone and now her old best friend was back and hanging out with other people when before it had just been the two of them.

She was just jealous.

There was _no_ reason to be jealous. Her and Max were best friends. No other bitches were gonna take her away.

Though she certainly hoped Victoria wasn't scheming something to sink her nasty little manicured claws in her.

"Come on Chloe, don't be an asshole like that. Max saved her life and they're friends now. She's allowed to have friends. You had a girlfriend for a while and she's been happy about it. Both of us have had friends ever since she left and it's all been fine. Why are you so pissed now…"

She narrowed her eyebrows and frowned, kicking a rock off into the ocean, sighing after.

The lighthouse was always a personal spot of hers and Max's in the past, and hers and Rachel's in recent times. Now it was a place she liked to sit at alone and just… think.

Though half the time she didn't even think, she just smoked and stared at the ocean, occasionally throwing rocks into the ocean angrily. It was a place to let out rage and subsequently be washed over by the serenity in the area. The only place in Arcadia Bay that didn't completely suck shit.

Finally she put her phone in her pocket, crossing her arms and looking out at the horizon.

…To see an eclipse?

 _ **What?**_

…The fuck was happening?

Chloe had no clue about any science shit, considering she slept through most of her science classes, but she did know that this wasn't supposed to be happening. It would have like, been on the news or something.

She gulped, suddenly having a real bad feeling about all this. That weird snow yesterday, and now a weird eclipse today?

Serious shit had to be going down in Arcadia Bay now… and if it wasn't for Max, she would have taken it as a sign to get the hell out.

She stood up, starting to head down the trail to get back to her truck. There was some stuff she wanted— needed to do, to feel better. To prove that she wasn't always the fuck up that everyone thought she was.

First thing's first was to head back home quick. There was a bit of business to take care of before certain plans she had for the night.

Hopping into her truck, she peeled away from the small clearing she was parked in, quickly heading onto the road, heading towards her home to stop off for a few things first.

The drive was uneventful, if a bit slow. People had stopped to stare at the mystery eclipse and Chloe was getting annoyed, to say the least. Plenty of honking and shouting from her as she tried to navigate the large, rusted out truck through traffic, to no real avail. It was taking a lot of energy to not start exploding even more than she did, and decided to bite her lip and shut up, gripping the wheel tight so she wouldn't flip anyone off.

It actually managed to work, somehow.

Sometime later, she was back at home, now parked awkwardly in the driveway.

"And no step-dick, perfect."

Grinning to herself, she stepped out of the truck, keys in hand, and stomped into the Price household, looking around.

…

"Hello?"

Finally, Joyce popped her head from the kitchen, smiling at her daughter.

"Oh, Chloe, nice of you to stop by," she said, her tone joking yet still sincere.

"How's it going mom?" Chloe asked simply as she walked into the kitchen, leaning against the fridge while Joyce washed dishes and utensils.

"Oh, alright. I'm a bit surprised you managed to come home after earlier, but fine. How's Max?"

"She's good, she's, uh, resting… she helped— she helped talk a student down…" Chloe said, folding her arms as she looked at the floor sadly.

"I… I heard about what had happened at Blackwell. I don't really know Kate Marsh, but I'm glad she didn't jump. Max was the one who talked her down from the roof?" Joyce asked, setting the dish she was currently washing down as she turned to Chloe. Chloe simply nodded.

"I'm really glad, the last thing this town needs is some poor young woman killing herself like that. I'm so glad Max was there for her," Joyce said, a small but somber smile on her face.

"Yeah… I was, uh, I was thinking of visiting her. Kate, I mean," Chloe told her, and Joyce's eyes widened in surprise, but her smile grew.

"That's real good of you, Chloe. Do you two know each other?"

"No, but Max and her are really good friends and, well, she's kind of busy right now— she has some stuff to take care of. So I thought I would visit… you know, maybe bring some flowers, or something. Help make her feel better," Chloe suggested, shrugging. She was a complete piece of shit about her situation earlier. Flowers was the absolute least she could do.

Joyce walked over and pulled her daughter into a hug. Chloe was taken utterly, absolutely aback by it and its suddenness, but wrapped her arms around her mom. It felt… nice. Different, but nice. They hadn't had a moment like this for a while.

"I'm proud of you, Chloe. I know you make mistakes at times, but deep down, you're a wonderful young lady. Your father would be so proud— and I know David will be happy that you're doing something so kind," she said, pulling away, looking at Chloe in the eyes and smiling, before heading back to the sink.

"Sorry for being so emotional, just… I'm happy for you."

"Uh, well, thanks… mom," Chloe mumbled, sighing and turning red. It was one thing to think about how her dad would be proud of her, but David? No way that asshole would ever say something nice to her— plus he already terrorized Kate a bunch. He probably wouldn't give a fuck about this at all.

…Hopefully her dad would be proud of her after everything she had done in the past five years.

Chloe walked over to the counter, setting her arms on it, looking at Joyce.

"So, um, Joyce? Can I borrow some money for flowers, if you don't mind? I, um, I'm kind of… running low…"

Joyce closed her eyes and shook her head, but the smile stayed.

"You know Chloe, normally I would chew your ass out for this, but… you're doing a good thing for someone, so I'll make an exception just this once," she said, walking over to her purse and pulling out her wallet, taking two twenties out.

"There you go— if you have any change, bring it back. And I swear if you spend any of it on cigarettes you won't hear the end of it," Joyce told her, narrowing her eyebrows at the girl, handing her the money. Chloe quickly pocketed the bills.

"Mom, I promise, I won't use it for cigarettes. I'm going to get Kate the best flower arrangement I can for the money," Chloe assured her. Joyce's expression lightened as she smiled again.

"Sounds good. Do you have any plans after that?" Joyce asked, heading back to the sink.

"Oh, um, I'll visit Max, I think. I know she's tired, so I might just go stay over and make sure she's ok. It's been a rough day on her," Chloe said, and Joyce nodded, now back to washing dishes.

"I'm so glad you two are connecting again. It was nice to see you back at the Two Whales together, it brought back a lot of memories."

Chloe winced. Thinking about the past like that— in such a positive way— wasn't her thing. She generally didn't want to think about it like that at all.

"Sounds good, mom. I'm— I just have one thing to take care of real quick and then I'll be going!" she called out, trying to get out of what felt like, to her, would be the most awkward conversation imaginable, and started to head to the garage.

She needed to get David's keys, and with him not there, it would at least be manageable— probably.

Hopefully.

Sneaking in was no real problem, and at least he didn't seem to have any cameras around as she looked inside. According to Max he had eyes on the whole house— which wasn't really surprising— but there didn't seem to be anything in his little garage lair. Lucky her.

"Ok, just need to get the keys to Blackwell and I'm set," she whispered to herself, tiptoeing deeper into the garage. And luckily for her, there they were.

Right on his workbench next to his laptop.

"Seriously? This almost feels like a trap."

She walked closer and closer until she was right in front of them. Looking around the garage one last time, she grabbed the keys and stuffed them as best as she could in her pocket. Keys to every door in Blackwell. On there were the keys to the principal's office. Whatever secrets that asshole was hiding would be in there, no doubt about it. About Rachel, about Nathan, about Kate… there had to be answers in there. And her and Max would find out tonight.

As quietly as she stepped into the garage, she stepped out, not seeing Joyce as she exited.

Phew.

"Ok mom! I'm… I'm heading down to the flower shop and then to the hospital and… yeah! I'll see you later!" Chloe called, heading to the front door. Once she reached that— as long as she didn't run into step-douche— she would be fine.

"Let her know we all wish her well," Joyce told her and she nodded to herself.

Hopefully she'd remember that.

Finally, Chloe was out of the house, slamming the door behind her, and running to her truck, just about jumping in it when she reached it and opened the door.

Chloe took a deep breath as she put her hands on the wheel. She didn't know her, but it was time to meet and make amends with one Kate Marsh.

Some time later— Chloe had no clue, and she was leaving the florist with a vase full of sunflowers. She knew nothing about Kate, but she thought— hoped she would like sunflowers. Who didn't like sunflowers? They were nice. Plus it was the thought that counted and everything. It would be fine.

Why was she so nervous anyways? Chloe never— rarely got that nervous.

Once she got back into her truck, she carefully set the vase that held the flowers on the passenger side floor.

"I swear to god if you fall and break…" she mumbled, buckling herself in.

She slowly pulled out of the small parking lot and drove as carefully as she could, uncharacteristic of her really, to the Arcadia Bay hospital.

Numerous times since she had gotten home, since she was waiting at the florist, she had sent messages to Max, but nothing.

She was probably just sleeping. Although she didn't have the full story about what happened, she was up on that roof with Kate Marsh. She saw her… she saw her die twice before she was able to make sure she didn't.

Chloe couldn't imagine the things Max had seen this week. She was surprised she would be able to sleep at all.

Chloe was tired from this drive— everything that she had done, seen, and heard today made her just want to sleep for a full day, but she couldn't.

She— her and Max had investigating to do.

Finally reaching the hospital, Chloe plucked the sunflowers from the passenger side after making sure she parked nice and neat. It was a hospital after all, she had to show _some_ respect.

She nervously, almost shakily walked into the lobby, heading over to the receptionist's desk.

"Um, hi. Yeah… sorry to bother you, but… where's Kate Marsh's room?" she asked, peeking from behind the flowers.

"Kate Marsh? Oh, well, I don't believe she's taking any visitors now, miss," the receptionist told her with a frown.

"Can— Can I see her? Please? I brought these flowers and, well, I really need to talk to her. It's important. Just, I just need like, thirty minutes is all," Chloe just about begged. She came all this way to see and apologize to Kate. She bought flowers— she wasn't going to be turned away, no way in hell.

The woman at the desk sat there in silence for a few moments, thinking, before finally sighing.

"I probably shouldn't do this… Miss Marsh got here just a few hours ago, but… go ahead. I'm sure she could use a friend right now. Just sign your name down and… I'll take the heat if anything happens," the receptionist told her, offering a smile. Chloe lit up.

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it," she told her, scribbling her name down— barely legible.

"Just past the door, go into the elevator. Floor three, room twenty-four. It'll be on the left side," the receptionist told her.

"Thanks!" Chloe called as she near ran over to the swinging doors, heading past into the elevator.

When she finally reached the third floor, she walked through it warily. While the risk of getting kicked out did scare her, she was more nervous just being in the hospital in general. It creeped the hell out of her.

Shit.

But she was here for a good reason.

"Twenty… twenty-two… ok, here we are," Chloe said to herself, seeing the number 24 adorned next to a room with an open door. As Chloe approached it she knocked on it nervously, peeking in.

"Hey, um… Kate? Is it ok if I come in?" she asked, her voice quiet. Kate, who was looking out the window, looked over at Chloe, smiling.

"Oh, sure, come in, come in," she said sweetly. Chloe nodded and walked in— already there were plenty of balloons and flowers around for her.

"Where do you want me to set these?" Chloe asked, looking around nervously. Now that she was actually in the room with her, she was a lot more nervous.

"Oh, on the table by the window is fine," Kate told her, pointing to a small round table that was between two chairs. Chloe nodded quietly and walked over, setting the vase on the table.

"Those are so beautiful, sunflowers are probably my favorite. You really didn't have to get them for me."

Chloe smiled to herself, turning to Kate.

"Is it, uh, is it ok if I sit down?"

Kate nodded quickly.

"Oh, please, make yourself at home! I wouldn't think of having you just stand around," she told her.

As Chloe pulled the chair closer to Kate's bed and sat down, she started to be able to tell just why Max liked her so much. She was so bright and sweet— even in a situation like this.

"T-Thanks," Chloe said simply, folding her hands in her lap. It wasn't really like her, but she didn't want to seem scary. She knew she came off that way sometimes, and she wanted to show Kate that she was still a good person, so… she would hold back.

"So, um, by the way… who are you? I feel… I feel really bad, I just don't think we've met before…" Kate said, frowning slightly. She was so apologetic even with something as simple as this. No wonder those Vortex Club assholes hurt her so much.

"Oh, I'm Chloe. Chloe Price. I don't go to Blackwell— not anymore. I, uh, I know you from Max," she explained, doing her best to focus on Kate and not the floor. It was hard though, to see her in this state, knowing what she had just been through. Knowing what she had been through that Kate _didn't_ know what she had been through.

"Max? Oh— I think she's talked about you before!" Kate said, her eyes lighting up. Chloe was surprised, to say the least.

"O-Oh yeah? What'd she say…?"

She had to know.

"Well, she talked about how you two used to be best friends before she left to move for Seattle, and how you both hadn't talked for years," Kate told her simply. Chloe frowned.

"O-Oh, right…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you… it's nice to meet you, honestly," Kate said, hoping to cheer Chloe up. Chloe looked up at her and smiled.

"It's fine. It's nice to meet you too."

Kate tilted her head in curiosity.

"So, not that I'm not touched that you came to visit, but… why did you come visit me?"

"Well, uh…"

 _"It's now or never, Price. It's time to make up for the piece of shit you were…"_

Chloe took a deep breath and then sighed. Kate raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired girl, but stayed silent.

"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry."

Silence filled the air for a moment as Chloe gulped hard.

"What… do you mean?" Kate asked slowly, confused.

"Earlier today, you called Max, and… and I gave her a bunch of shit for it," she admitted, letting out a nervous breath.

"Why?" Kate asked simply. She wasn't upset, she wasn't angry… just curious. Chloe was confused.

"We just… we just met up yesterday after her classes— it's a long story— and we were just trying to reconnect. I was trying to reconnect with her. She used to be my best friend, and she and her family ended up moving away at a really bad time in my life…" she started.

Chloe took a deep breath and Kate nodded slowly, staying quiet and listening intently.

"So… earlier today, we were at the Two Whales, and we were about to leave to— to hang out, and you called her… and I was being a real asshole about her picking up for you… and I didn't know the situation or what you were going through or anything… Max had to explain after. I was just raging and being a colossal asshole about everything and angry that she was paying more attention to you than me… and, and she told me what happened… and I just felt like shit. I've felt bad the whole day, and I know I didn't have to say anything to you but, I dunno, I feel like I couldn't say nothing."

She sighed. She felt so shitty for saying everything. She could have just brought by the flowers, gave her a "feel better soon!", and been on her way, but _noooooooo_ , she just had to tell the truth.

Kate was silent for a few moments, alternating between looking at Chloe, and down at her hands which were folded in her lap. Finally, she looked up at Chloe, offering a small smile.

"You're a good person, Chloe," she told her simply, which left Chloe in shock.

"Wait… what? You're not… you're not actually serious are you?" Chloe asked, taken aback. She was absolutely confounded by this. Kate nodded though, confirming what she had just said.

"I am."

"Um… why? I just told you I threw a bunch of hissy fits over Max not paying attention to me and paying attention to you…" Chloe mumbled, biting her lip. Now that she actually said the core of what it was, she sounded awful. Like, _**really**_ awful.

"Well, yes, but… you're sorry for that, right?" Kate asked. Chloe nodded silently.

"And I think that counts for a lot. That you were able to come all the way up here and sincerely apologize… and I know you were sincere about it, I can tell."

Chloe nodded quickly again.

"Yeah, I mean… I really… I really am sorry about everything that happened… knowing the situation, you— no one deserves to be put through this. And I promise— I promise no matter what— that Max and I will figure out everything that happened to you that night. We'll make sure Nathan will get what he deserves and you get justice," Chloe explained. A small smile crept onto Kate's face.

"Thank you, Chloe. And, I just want to say… while the way you handled things with Max probably wasn't the best, I want you to let you know… it's sweet, in a way," Kate told her, and Chloe turned red, once again taken aback by Kate's comments.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from the little I know from what you've told me and what Max has talked about, you really care about her. And she really cares about you too. You pushed for her to want to spend time with you… so, while being mad at her isn't the best, it shows how much you care about her. And even though you were really mad at her, you were able to forgive her. Not just for picking up the phone, but for leaving to Seattle."

The words that Kate had just said really spoke to Chloe. She probably wouldn't have done that for anyone else, no matter who they were.

"It shows how much you really love her, Chloe. How much you two love and care about each other. It's sweet," Kate said with a big smile, hands still folded neatly in her lap.

Chloe turned red and smiled.

"So, um… you're not mad at me?" Chloe asked. She had to be sure.

Kate nodded.

"I promise."

"Thanks," Chloe said, getting up.

"I uh… I think I have to get going, I'm really sorry, Kate. I have to go get Max and get our investigation back underway," she said with a grin. Kate let out a small giggle.

"Don't worry, Chloe. Thank you in the first place for visiting me— it was wonderful to meet you."

"It was… it was great to meet you too, Kate. Now I know why Max loves you so much."

"You're too sweet, Chloe. And I know you two are going to do great with your investigation on this all. I believe in you both so much."

"We're doing it for you," Chloe assured her. Kate waved her over after, and Chloe nervously stepped next to her.

"Hug?" Kate asked simply, reaching out her arms. Chloe nodded in silence, leaning over to give her a hug. The two held together for a moment before letting go, Chloe now heading to the door.

"Thanks again for visiting me, Chloe. It means a lot. Just remember, you're a good person, even if you make mistakes sometimes," Kate told her, offering a smile.

"Kate… that really means a lot. Thanks. I'll— we'll see you soon," Chloe told her, the two waving goodbye to each other as Chloe left, turning into the hall. No one was around still, luckily, so she figured it was going to be an easy way out. Now it was off to Blackwell. To find Max so they could start their little investigation. There was something in the principal's office at Blackwell, Chloe just knew it. There had to be answers there.

It was actually starting to get late by the time Chloe had left the hospital. She spent far longer than she would have expected at the hospital. She didn't mind— meeting Kate was actually a real joy for Chloe— and she normally didn't like most people, especially not meeting new people.

Max was in good hands with Kate, she could really tell now. She had no reasons to be jealous of their friendship, she was just being an ass about it all… She'd have to apologize to Max about everything today. She just hoped she would understand— Max was still her best friend, even with Rachel in the picture.

…

Max coming back into her life was really something, giving Chloe a whole rush of emotions that she hadn't felt in a long time.

…

She shook her head.

"Just— get to Blackwell, you and Max have shit to do," she mumbled to herself with a sigh as she started to walk to her truck.

Chloe pulled out her phone, hopefully Max was awake and ready to get started on their little hunt for clues.

 _"Max I'm heading down to Blackwell, get ready. I have something amazing."_

 _"It will blow your mind!"_

…

Nothing?

…Hopefully she would be awake by the time she'd get there, though Chloe wouldn't give a fuck if she had to stomp down to her dorm room and pull her out. Max was her best friend, and Chloe wasn't going to do anything about this without her. Max had saved her twice now, if they weren't bound together forever before, they were now. Chloe was going to find Rachel, and Max would be right by her side, no matter what.

…She _needed_ Max by her side.

 _"Ok Super-Max I'll be over in a while you better be ready to kick some major ass with me tonight."_

Chloe sighed. Where the hell was she?

As soon as she had set her phone in her back pocket, it buzzed. Her eyes lit up like they hadn't in a long time. She stopped mid-step to pull her phone out and looked at it.

 _"Sorry, I'm still a bit sleepy, I've been resting."_

 _"I'll see you when you get here, just let me know when."_

Chloe was grinning from ear to ear. At least she wasn't ignoring her. After Max up and left for five years, ever since they had met up again yesterday, the fear of losing her was fresh in her mind, always there, just nagging at her. She felt a bit more safe about it all now.

 _"Rest up then girl! I am heading over right now!"_

 _"See you soon Chloe \^^"_

 _"I'll let that emoji slide just this one time because I have something so cool to show you"_

A sigh, this time of relief. She was on cloud nine right now and even an emoji couldn't bring her down. Now it was just time to actually get down there.

The drive to Blackwell was, as always, shitty and long. It was always like this— when she came to pick up Rachel for a night out, and even now to meet up with Max. Dark and boring as hell. It wasn't even that late— what the hell was going on with the weather?

Though finally, she reached Blackwell Academy. Even though she was expelled a long time back, she found herself coming here more and more, especially in recent months. Rachel, and now Max. God, at least she didn't have homework still.

She parked in the school's parking lot, right near where she parked yesterday. David was still probably here, so as long as she laid low, he probably wouldn't find her. It was just a case of getting to the girl's dorms. Wouldn't be too hard.

Phone clutched in her hand, Chloe marched on through the parking lot, dark surrounding her aside from a few street lamps, as she scanned the area. No one else was out— probably all stuck in their rooms after what happened today.

It was understandable, really.

Finally, the main plaza of the school— one of the last times she was here, she was sitting under one of the trees getting all high and giggly with Rachel. It wasn't too long before they started dating.

…

 _ **Fuck.**_

"Don't get emotional, Chloe, you need to be on your A-game right now…" she said to herself, voice no higher than a whisper.

As she was walking through, she heard the door to the school open.

Shit!

She hid behind a large sign— something advertising one of Mark Jefferson's exhibits or something. As she peered around the sign, she saw who was coming out of the building.

A guy she didn't entirely recognize.

Wait, that was… that was probably Mr. Jefferson, wasn't it?

He had his phone close to his face, examining it carefully before putting it in his suit pocket.

"What a shame," he said to himself, shaking his head.

 _"What do we have here?"_ Chloe thought. Whatever he was saying… she was interested.

"Two days left until the contest is decided and Max still hasn't entered. A real shame…" he continued as he walked down the steps. Chloe had no clue where he was going, but it probably wouldn't have been a good idea if he saw her.

"She would probably win if she did… she has the potential. I can see it so well."

…Ok, what the hell was he going on about?

"I could always try and push it… I just know she's the most suited to win this," he said, rubbing his left temple briefly and sighing.

"Victoria entered though, and she's more than suitable a winner if Max doesn't enter, especially compared to everyone else in the class," he muttered, grimacing.

"Well, I can always ask Max again tomorrow. It would really be a shame if she missed out on this chance."

He was… really serious about this photography contest, huh?

Jefferson had pulled out his phone again, mumbling something under his breath— something Chloe couldn't hear— before he walked down the stairs, leaving.

That was… unexpected. But at least he didn't catch her.

Geez, he was really obsessed with that contest though. Maybe it would be good for Max to enter. Chloe knew that Max was a great photographer, she just needed to put herself out there.

Like with everything else she did.

Chloe figured she could always give her a little nudge, like she did in the past.

She'd do that later. Now was time for some sneaking.

 _"Max! I'm here, meet me up by the school building, I have a hella cool surprise for you."_

With that text fired off, it was just time to wait.

 _"I'll be there in a bit… and please don't let this be a dangerous surprise?"_

Chloe grinned, just like Max.

 _"I promise."_

Though, one last text for good measure.

 _"Not too dangerous."_


	12. What You Least Expect

**The last chapter before we get into episode 3, where things will definitely start deviating from what we all knew. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I definitely had to do some research to figure a few things out about Victoria. I will say, nothing is final yet, keep that in mind, and hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The two had walked back slowly to the dorms. Everyone was either back in their dorms or too distracted by the bizarre eclipse to notice the odd pairing of Max and Victoria, with Max's head nestled into Victoria's chest and Victoria just about holding the smaller brunette up, going down to the dorms.

It probably wasn't going to be a date night with pizza, but it would still be nice. After what had happened not even an hour ago… Max wasn't sure she even had an appetite anymore. Victoria probably didn't either. At the least the air was still, cool and quiet, the two girls walking in step slowly, enjoying each other's company in silence. Enjoying the comfort of being right next to each other. Each girl wanted to say something to break the tension, but stayed quiet. They were both exhausted— they could wait until they got inside for the night.

Victoria peered into the halls of the dormitory when they reached the door, before pulling her head out and looking at Max.

"Coast is clear, let's go," she whispered, a small smile on her face. She used her free hand to pull open the door even more, leading Max in first and walking in behind her, closing the door behind them. Max nearly fell forward as she stumbled in, but Victoria traipsed forward quickly and wrapped her arm around Max's waist.

"Thanks, I'm… I'm still pretty weak in the knees. I don't think I want to get up at all once we sit down tonight," Max sighed, with a small laugh after, trying to ease any nerves Victoria might have had about how she was.

"You're going to be treated like a princess tonight. No getting up, no lifting a finger," Victoria said, her voice… almost sing-songy. It was so different from the Victoria Chase that Max had known just last week. It was so… unreal. In the best way, of course. Last week she nearly left the classroom when Victoria outright insulted her in Mr. Jefferson's class, leading to her and Taylor laughing their asses off… and now her stomach was in knots with butterflies just thinking about her.

But she was so glad things had turned out this way. She really liked Victoria. She just wanted to have a nice night with her in… maybe she'd even figure out her feelings for the blonde more?

Maybe she loved her?

Max had no clue, and it made her just about want to throw up whenever the thought crossed her mind. She had to figure out her feelings. She would— she had to make sure of it. She wasn't going to end this week— face this tornado without having faced her feelings first.

 _"You can't let this keep going like this, Max… Victoria wants to date you! You can't lead her on, you can't give her hope in case you don't like her or something…"_ she thought with a sigh as the opening of Victoria's door snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Come on, let's get inside. You can barely even stand, Maxine," Victoria said, leading her gently to the couch. Max fell over when she reached it, resting her head on the arm, involuntarily letting out a groan. She suddenly felt the exhaustion take hold of her after the adrenaline that she was amped up on for the past hour or so. She wasn't even sure if she could lift her head, let alone actually get up.

 _"Max… you need to figure out if you love Victoria or not… quick."_

Victoria smiled at Max. She was so… adorable. She could barely handle it. Even if she was exhausted and barely able to stand, she had this… something about her.

"You don't mind if I get changed, do you? I love this outfit, but… it's not exactly suited for cuddling," she told Max, blushing now. Her smile had turned into a small, sheepish grin.

"Oh… go ahead. It's your room, I'd hate for you to be uncomfortable in it. I'll just close my eyes quick… but just make sure I don't… fall asleep," Max told her with a yawn. It was actually a bit of a struggle to stay awake now. It would be rude, but maybe a two minute nap wouldn't be too bad…

"You don't have to close your eyes Max. I won't mind if you look," Victoria said with a wink, and Max's eyes quickly opened wide. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Victoria was ok with her seeing her in her underwear?

This was… actually unbelievable.

"Oh, um… if you're… if you're sure, Victoria…" she mumbled, now bright red. She was unable to close her eyes, her gaze was fixed on Victoria as she gulped nervously.

"I am."

 _Wowser._

Victoria unbuttoned her blouse and took it off, gingerly setting it in a small laundry basket tucked neatly next to her desk. After she slipped out of her skirt and her dress shoes, now in nothing but a pair of matching black underwear and socks. Max was bright red— she had never been in a situation like this.

Victoria was _gorgeous._

The blonde walked over to her closet, opening a drawer and pulling out a simple white tank top and putting that on. Then she pulled out a pair of dark blue sweats and stepped into those, one leg at a time. Even in pajamas, looking like a regular person, she was still absolutely radiant. Max was awestruck— she probably looked so ridiculous.

Finally Victoria turned to look at Max and giggled.

"Max Caulfield, you are… fucking adorable," she laughed, and Max looked down, almost afraid of eye contact with Victoria. She felt so embarrassed all of a sudden. She had been staring at her like a creep!

"Oh, um… thanks. You're— you're really pretty… as usual."

Another giggle from Victoria left Max even brighter red— if that was somehow possible. She clenched her eyes shut, she felt like she was going to explode.

"You don't have to be so nervous around me, you know."

"It's just… it's tough to get used to, you know? Even with what's happened, you're still Victoria Chase and I'm still Max Caulfield… You're still popular and gorgeous and I'm still…" she started, trailing off. Almost as if she had trouble finding the word "huge dork".

"Waif hipster bullshit? I told you, I love waif hipster bullshit. I think you're amazing. You're smart, cute, you take great pictures. Max Caulfield… you are fantastic, and I want you to know it," Victoria assured her, now heading over to the couch and sitting on the other side.

"Thanks…"

It meant a lot to Max to hear something like this from Victoria or Chloe. She had never really thought she was something special, but they were making her think that maybe she was.

"Now come on, you can rest on me some more. If you're gonna fall asleep, I'd rather you do it on my shoulder," Victoria told her with a small smirk as she leaned over and grabbed onto Max, pulling her up and nestling herself into the left side of the couch, letting Max fall onto her shoulder. The two were now cuddled up together on the left side of Victoria's couch.

The room— the entire dorm floor was silent. There wasn't a single sound. All that one could hear in Victoria's room was just the quiet sound of the two girls breathing as they rested together. It was a few more minutes before Max finally spoke up.

"This is… really nice. Thanks for letting me stay here and rest, Victoria."

"Of course. After what you did today, I'm not gonna just let you go off on your own. You know how I feel about you."

"Yeah…"

 _"Max… she's gonna bring it up… You have to figure out what you're going to do…"_ she thought, opening her eyes and looking up at Victoria, smiling.

"It's silly, but you mean a lot to me now. I want you to know it."

"Believe me Victoria, I know it. And I appreciate it."

They both smiled at each other, each blushing.

How could the coolest girl at Blackwell end up being such a huge dork— let alone be basically in love with her?

She was still surprised this wasn't all a dream.

…

"Is there anything you want to do, Max?" Victoria asked, finally breaking the silence that had set in the room for a short period of time.

"Do you, uh… do you wanna watch something? That TV is really nice…" she suggested sheepishly.

"So you wanna have a movie night for our first date?"

"Um—" Max stuttered out, eyes wide. Victoria laughed, wrapping her arm around Max and holding her closer— if that was somehow possible.

"Max I'm messing around. You don't have to get so nervous around me, you know," Victoria assured her. Max wanted to believe that— she knew she didn't have to be so nervous around. She just couldn't help it.

"I know… I'll— I'll do my best to calm down," Max told her. She didn't want Victoria to be hurt by all of this. It was more her being thrust into this situation for the first time than anything else.

Though, her first time in this situation being with Victoria Chase definitely made it a lot tougher.

"You trust me, right?"

Max gulped.

"Yeah, of course I do! You're one of my best friends now. It's just— I'm awkward."

"I know. It's adorable. But I don't want you to feel awkward around me."

"I'm not. I won't be."

"Promise?" Victoria asked, quirking a concerned eyebrow as she looked down at the small hipster who was snuggled up into her.

Max looked up at her, offering a smile.

"I promise," Max told her.

Victoria smiled back, relieved herself about this all. She was scared that she was going to push Max away by being too overbearing with her feelings. The best case scenario would of course be that Max would like her back. That they could start dating, and that the Vortex Club— that no one at Blackwell— would be a piece of shit to them. Especially not to Maxine.

She didn't want to think of the worst case scenarios.

"Soooo… movie date night?" Victoria asked, grinning slyly now. Max laughed.

"Ok, ok. Movie date night," she said, soon calming down from her laughter.

"What do you want to watch then? You're the special guest, you can pick the movie."

It would be interesting to see what Max liked. Victoria knew Max was more than a bit of a dork when it came to pop culture— she had overheard plenty of conversations between her and Warren before— but she was deathly curious about what Max liked most. What she would pick.

"Hmm…" Max said, clearly exaggerating her thinking, as she glanced off to the side and bit her lip a bit. She _knew_ what she wanted to watch, but she also knew that Victoria would give her shit forever for it.

"Ok, you promise not to laugh, Victoria?" Max asked after a few moments, glancing over at the other.

"I promise… though now I'm scared," Victoria joked.

"Ok. What about… Final Fantasy Spirits Within?" Max asked and Victoria's eyes widened.

"Oh my fucking _god_ Maxine Caulfield you did not just suggest that," she said in pure shock.

"It's not that bad! It's one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, Victoria," Max argued, but Victoria shook her head, eyes closed. She was having none of it.

"Max. Spirits Within is probably the _worst_ movie I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of bad OVA's," she told her. Victoria was a snob that required high quality through and through. Clearly that wasn't just for clothes.

"Honestly… I can't even believe that you're the type of girl that watches anime, let alone loves it," Max said, smiling. Victoria was bright red and flustered now.

Victoria Chase was really something else.

In a good way.

"Look— just because I'm 'cool' doesn't mean I can't like stuff like that…" Victoria pouted slightly.

"No no no! I think it's awesome, it's just, you know, unexpected. Whenever you think about like, an average cool popular girl, you don't really think about them watching anime and stuff. It's super cool," Max gushed. It _was_ really cool. It would actually give them something else to talk about besides school and photography and each other.

"Oh, well… thanks. I have a feeling the rest of Blackwell would have a field day if they found out about this…" Victoria sighed, looking off to the side.

"If anyone gives you shit, I'll tell them to stop," Max said, trying her best to sound tough— it probably wasn't working that well, though.

"Thanks Max, that's sweet," Victoria said sincerely. It was sweet that Max cared. She wasn't sure that Taylor or Courtney would do the same. They knew she liked— loved anime, but now that she was probably on the outs with the Vortex Club… she was afraid she was going to get torn apart for it.

But she had Max on her side through all this, right?

"I mean it," Max told her simply, smiling at the blonde. Victoria was frozen for a bit.

"…Anyways I'm going to pick the movie because— and I'm sorry for this— I don't think I can trust your taste now," Victoria told her, cracking a smile. Max laughed— she wasn't hurt by it— she knew one of her favorite movies was constantly laughed at. Plus it would be neat to see what Victoria would pick for them to watch for this… first date-thing.

"Ok, that's fine. Pick something good though?" Max teased, and Victoria jokingly stuck her tongue out at her as she got up, heading over to her drawers that held the flat screen television on top of it. Opening one up, she rifled through the drawer full of movies for a bit, "Hmm"'ing every so often, clearly trying her best to pick out the best movie that would impress her crush the most.

"Ok… Ok, I think this is good. You'll love this one, Maxine. I know it," Victoria said, pulling out a DVD case, carefully plucking the disc from it, and putting it in the player. She grabbed the remote and started to head back to the couch so Max could rest on her again— as the brunette had collapsed onto the left arm of the couch once Victoria moved.

…But first she went and grabbed the blanket from her bed, yanking it off rather roughly, now heading to sit down next to Max again.

"We have to keep warm, it's starting to get cold now," Victoria said as Max pushed herself up so Victoria could sit down again. She draped the blanket over herself and Max and then pressed the play button on the remote. The two were now two warm, covered nerds (though to Max that seemed like an understatement), about to relax and watch a movie after what was easily one of the roughest days either had ever experienced.

"So what are we watching?" Max asked, resisting the urge of hiding her head under the blanket just to snuggle up and warm herself more.

That must have been a real perk of being as rich as Victoria Chase— the best, fluffiest blankets money could buy.

"You've seen Paprika, right?" Victoria asked.

"Uh, well, um… I don't think I've seen the same Paprika you have," Max stuttered out nervously.

"The 2006 film directed by Satoshi Kon? His last film before his passing?"

"…The kitchen spice," Max admitted sheepishly. Clearly she wasn't as cultured or well-versed in anime as she thought she was.

"…Max, you've seriously never even heard of this? Based on the 1993 novel? Starring Megumi Hayashibara who played Faye Valentine in Cowboy Bebop?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. Max was… utterly impressed with her knowledge.

"Well, I know Cowboy Bebop… I've seen a few episodes," Max said. Victoria sighed, shaking her head.

"This weekend you and I have to have, like, a marathon or something. This is an injustice— I honestly can't believe this," Victoria told her. Max lit up with a smile.

"An anime weekend with Victoria Chase where we watch her recommendations? Yes please!" Max said excitedly.

"…As long as I maybe get to pick one or two out too," she added and Victoria nodded.

"Oh, definitely. I need to figure out your enigmatic tastes, Maxine," Victoria joked, and Max laughed.

This was… nice. It was calm, and sweet, and…

Nice.

The movie started to play past the intro, which the two girls had talked over— though at least there were subtitles. But now the two were sitting in silence as the movie continued— Max was watching intently, while Victoria stayed quiet so Max could get the most out of it. She wanted Max to be impressed by her tastes. It was so pathetic and self-conscious, especially for someone like Victoria, who gave off the air that she was anything but.

Why was she so worried about what Max thought about the anime she watched?

She didn't need to freak out— she knew— or at the least, felt like Max liked her. She didn't need to worry so much— she shouldn't have been worrying so much.

But right now, each girl had one thing on their mind, over everything else.

Their relationship.

Victoria knew what she wanted between the two of them: a real, concrete, caring relationship. A real relationship where they could confide in each other and trust each other. One that wasn't just for money or status, but because they loved each other. She felt like she'd really be able to have that with Max. Maybe she had just fallen in love incredibly quickly— maybe this was just some silly crush over the girl she least expected to ever crushed on. Maybe it was all because she saved her life yesterday.

But she wanted to take a chance. With Max. She felt like she could be safe with her. She would do whatever it would take to make this work.

 _"Max, what the hell are you going to do? You can't just… you can't just lead her on…"_ she thought, taking a deep breath.

Max had never dated before— she didn't even know she liked girls like this until last night when she talked to Victoria about it. Well, she probably did, she had just never thought about it before. And Victoria was really pretty… and cool… and smart.

And apparently had great taste in stuff to watch.

…Plus, Chloe was dating Rachel Amber anyways. Just because she was missing— maybe even especially because of that fact— she couldn't date her. She couldn't say that maybe she had feelings for her!

She was struggling with feelings for Victoria _**and**_ Chloe.

But one of them was dating someone.

And one of them actually liked her back and wanted to date.

…What could go wrong?

Max took in a sudden, sharp breath.

 _"Don't even think like that, Max. You can't just set yourself up for failure like this all the time. You have to believe things can go well…"_ she thought, closing her eyes briefly. Admittedly, she had stopped paying attention to the movie as soon as these thoughts. She felt bad, but they could always watch the movie again. This, on the other hand, was far more important.

 _"Everything will be fine Max. You can do this and things will work out with you two. You have to believe that."_

Now was as good a time as any. After this morning she said she wasn't going to bring this up, but… the opportunity was here, and this wouldn't get less stressful if she waited.

"Can we talk?"

Both girls were surprised— they had said the same thing at the same time. Max looked up at Victoria, who was looking at her.

"What's up?" Victoria asked quietly. She had a feeling she knew what the other wanted to talk about.

"I want to talk about… us," Max said, gulping nervously. She could do this.

"I do too. Are you sure you're up for it? I know you said you weren't exactly ready to earlier, what with everything happening… plus with this afternoon…"

"I'm sure. We… I feel like we need to. I don't know if I can wait any longer," Max told her. Victoria smiled.

This was all going to be fine.

"I'm glad. I'm really glad. So you've been thinking about this too?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah. You were… you were serious when you brought up wanting to date… right?"

She had to make sure. Just one last time.

"Of course I mean it. Please don't think I'm not serious with how I feel about you, Max. If you'd be up for it… I'd really like to be together. As a couple," she told her. Max was bright red. A little bit of her was still in disbelief, even after how many times Victoria had assured her. It was all just unbelievable… her and Victoria? Dating!?

If she could go back in time to the first day of school to tell herself, she wouldn't be able to believe it.

"If you want to be together, I'd really like to…" Max mumbled nervously.

"Maxine Caulfield, I'd _l_ _ove_ to be your girlfriend. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Victoria asked, a big smile on her face. Max was still red, but a smile was on her face too.

"I want to be your girlfriend. I— I want you to be my girlfriend, Victoria," she said, her voice shaking. She could feel her whole body shaking. She was so nervous, but the words were finally out.

"I guess we're a couple then," Victoria said simply. She was smiling— they both were.

"I… I guess we are. I'm— this is my first relationship, I'm sure you can tell, and I'm really happy," Max told her.

 _ **Bzzt**_

"Same on both accounts. And I'm gladder than anything that you're my first girlfriend."

Ok, that was big, and it had Max relieved and feeling like she was on cloud nine.

 _ **Bzzt**_

"Victoria, that—"

 _ **Bzzt**_

Max finally noticed that her phone had been vibrating. She had been so tired— so focused on Victoria— that she hadn't noticed before.

"Oh, sorry. It's— it's my phone," Max apologized sheepishly, digging into her pocket and pulling out her phone, looking at how many texts Chloe had been sending. Now she felt really bad that she hadn't been responding.

"Just… give me a few seconds, I'm really sorry."

 _"Max I'm heading down to Blackwell, get ready. I have something amazing."_

 _"It will blow your mind!"_

 _"Ok Super-Max I'll be over in a while you better be ready to kick some major ass with me tonight."_

"What's up? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, it's Chloe… she said she has something amazing. She's coming over soon," Max told her, looking up at Victoria— at her girlfriend.

"Do you think this could be some big break?" Victoria asked.

"I really think so. I know Chloe. This is big."

 _"Sorry, I'm still a bit sleepy, I've been resting."_

 _"I'll see you when you get here, just let me know when."_

 _"Rest up then girl! I am heading over right now!"_

 _"See you soon Chloe \^^"_

 _"I'll let that emoji slide just this one time because I have something so cool to show you"_

Max was grinning ear to ear. Chloe was doing well and apparently had something big for them. Maybe her investigating led to a breakthrough with Kate? Or Rachel Amber?

"So she's coming over soon?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah, right now. I don't know where she's coming from but she'll probably let me know when she's here. She said to rest up so… this is probably big," Max explained.

"Well, it's a good thing we have this blanket… and I'm here," Victoria said slyly, and Max let out a small squeak.

"You're so adorable, Max. Come on… we can close our eyes for a bit," Victoria told her.

Honestly?

Snuggling with her now girlfriend, under a blanket… sounded like the greatest thing she could imagine right now.

"Ok, ok… we'll take a quick nap until Chloe gets here."

"That's the spirit."

Max had nestled up into Victoria again, before closing her eyes. Victoria wrapped an arm around Max under the blanket, closing her eyes as well.

…

Everything was silent, Victoria had paused the movie, it was just the two of them, resting.

It was nice.

 _ **Bzzt**_

"Kate!" Max screamed, panting heavily as she jolted awake.

Victoria had barely been sleeping, so when Max was sitting upright, blanket flung off the two of them, she was up in a second, hands on Max's shoulders.

"Max… is everything alright?" the blonde asked, panicked.

"Yeah… I just— didn't have a good dream," she sighed, looking down at the floor. She didn't want to think about that nightmare she just had.

"Everything's ok. Kate is fine. Just remember that. Kate is fine— you made sure of that," Victoria assured her. Max nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I should probably check this text, huh?" Max asked, wanting to change the topic as quickly as possible.

The less she thought about seeing Kate jump, the better.

 _"Max! I'm here, meet me up by the school building, I have a hella cool surprise for you."_

 _"I'll be there in a bit… and please don't let this be a dangerous surprise?"_

 _"I promise."_

 _"Not too dangerous."_

Max gulped.

She was a bit nervous now.

After their little trip to the junkyard, Max was a bit wary of surprises that Chloe had in store… but things would be fine.

She had the power to rewind time, she would make sure Chloe wouldn't get hurt.

Max would make sure nothing bad would happen to them.

"Chloe's here, I guess I should get going," Max said as she got up. She walked over to the door slowly, slipping into her shoes and picking up her messenger bag, slinging it on.

"I'll see you later then, I guess?" she asked nervously.

Victoria quickly shook her head, getting up, hands on her hips.

"Oh, no no no. Maxine Caulfield— you are my girlfriend. And you're exhausted. I am not letting you go off on your own out there. I'm coming with you," Victoria told her, heading over to the closet to put on a sweatshirt and slip into some shoes herself. Not her dress ones, but casual ones.

It wasn't glamorous, but she didn't exactly have time to pretty up. It probably wouldn't matter much anyways. Sweats and a sweatshirt would be fine for whatever Chloe had in store.

"Are you sure? I don't want—" Max started, but Victoria was having none of it.

"I'm sure. I'm coming with you. We're even more a team now than before, right?" Victoria asked. Max nodded, smiling.

"Right."

Victoria grabbed onto her girlfriend's hand and opened the door, pulling Max out with her, before closing and locking it.

"Come on, let's go find Chloe," Victoria said as the two were now walking in step together to exit the dorms.

"This is really exciting. About to do some investigating with my best friend and my girlfriend? I never thought this would ever happen," Max said, smiling still. When the two reached the door out of the dorms, they looked back behind them.

"Ready to go?" Victoria asked. Max nodded.

"Ready."

Though she was curious… and maybe even a bit nervous about what Chloe would think about her and Victoria and dating now…

No, everything would be fine.


	13. Totally Spying

**Sorry for the long delay! Finals and the end of school for the quarter, as well as my other short fic I wrote, left this taking a bit longer than I expected. Changed a few things around from the original that didn't seem to have that much going, so, as I said, I'm keeping working on deviating this more and more. Don't worry, there's plenty more in store too! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you sure you're up for this, Maxine? You seem kind of tired…" Victoria whispered, still holding Max up, leading her to the front of the campus. Max nodded slowly.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, really. You don't have to worry so much, you know," Max assured her. Victoria grimaced.

"I know, but I'm your girlfriend and—"

"—And you care. I appreciate that, you have no clue how much I do," Max told her.

Victoria gave her a warm smile, holding her closer.

"But I don't want you just protecting me. I'm going to protect you too, Victoria. No matter what."

Victoria turned bright red, glancing away briefly. Max was blushing, too. She had to hold back from saying "I love you" to Victoria. It was way too early in the relationship for that… right?

"You've already done a lot in keeping me safe," Victoria said.

"And I'll keep making sure you're safe, no matter what," Max told her.

"I'll make sure you're safe too."

Max had butterflies in her stomach even more than before.

As bad as it sounded, she half wished Chloe hadn't found anything… it would be nice to just spend another night in with Victoria.

As the two walked up the stairs, Max was wondering— worrying— about what Chloe's reaction would be to the two of them being a couple. Chloe was dating Rachel Amber, so obviously it wouldn't be jealousy… but Chloe didn't like Victoria. Max imagined that would still be the case, even now, though the two had barely talked about it.

She didn't want her best friend arguing with her girlfriend… she prayed it wouldn't happen.

"Can we hold hands again?" Max asked sheepishly.

"You don't even have to ask," Victoria told her, smiling, as she moved her arm from around Max to her hand, lacing her fingers with the brunette's. The two walked up the stairs silently and to the front of the campus, looking around for the blue-haired Chloe Price. Though she was nowhere to be found.

"Chloe did say she'd be here, right?" Victoria asked, the two looking around, stopping.

"Yeah… she said she was here waiting for us…" Max mumbled, frowning.

Chloe, however, had been leaning against a tree, sending another text to Rachel. She didn't notice the two Blackwell students coming up, and had only seen them when she had moved from where she was standing to look around for them.

She slowly and quietly walked towards them, not able to hear their whispering.

 _"Why the fuck did Max bring her?"_ Chloe thought, scrunching her face up angrily.

Right before she was right behind them, Chloe took in a deep breath, trying to calm down so she didn't explode at the blonde right off the bat.

"So you brought the posse tonight?" she asked, hoping to come off sarcastically and lighthearted— even if Chloe was feeling anything but.

As the two turned around together, Chloe noticed something that she hadn't before, but was surprised at.

They were holding hands?

Why the _**fuck**_ were they holding hands?

Max smiled at Chloe, letting go of Victoria's hand and walked over to hug her best friend. Chloe hugged back, doing her best to soften her expression so she wasn't glaring at Victoria.

"I was exhausted after… after everything that happened, so Victoria let me crash in her room for a while. I was really exhausted, so she didn't want me coming up here alone," Max explained, and Chloe slowly nodded.

"Uh huh."

"I just didn't feel right letting her go off on her own after everything she's been through today. She looked like she was ready to collapse," Victoria explained.

"Oh, by the way Chloe! We, uh— we have something to— you don't mind if I say, do you Victoria?" Max asked, her words fast and panicked as she glanced back and forth between the two girls.

"Go ahead," Victoria told her sweetly, smile on her face.

Something to… what?

What was Max talking about?

 _"There's no fucking way she means…"_ Chloe thought, inhaling through her nostrils.

"So, uh, Chloe…" Max started, biting her lip.

Why was she so nervous?

She knew she'd just have to face this. Nothing bad would happen. Chloe was her best friend— she was just nervous because she was still feeling weird about her feelings with Chloe. That was all.

Max reached out to grab Victoria's hand again.

"Victoria and I are dating now," Max said, smiling, holding up their hands. Victoria smiled at Max, not looking over at Chloe. All that really mattered was Max's opinions— not Chloe's. She would be friendly with her, but that would be about the extent. She told Max she would be nice to her best friend, and she was determined to keep that promise.

"Damn, congrats. You two get busy while I was off busting my ass?" she joked, walking past them, then turning around to look at them.

Max and Victoria were both bright red, and the comment was enough to get the couple to stop holding hands, now following Chloe.

"Look, Chloe, you're my best friend. Victoria is my girlfriend now. I really don't want anyone to be upset at each other," Max said. While she didn't know that Chloe was actually upset, she wanted to defuse the situation before anything would start.

"I'm not upset. I'm fine. I'm happy for you Max, honest. Why wouldn't I be?" Chloe asked, smiling at Max. It wasn't one hundred percent sincere, though she was actually feeling bad now after Max's little speech. She cared about and loved Max— Max was her best friend, after all. Even if she couldn't stand the blonde, she'd handle this… as best she could.

She moved in and hugged Max quickly, before walking back towards the door to the school.

"So what's the big—" Max started, before nearly stumbling over, now feeling dizzy. Her vision was blurring and her head was suddenly pounding.

"—The big— the—" she stuttered out again before starting to fall over, blacking out.

"Max!"

"Maxine!"

It was like her visions from earlier today and yesterday.

Except worse.

The tornado seemed… more intense, more powerful.

More real.

The town was being torn apart.

Max was staring at the bay, up on the cliff by the lighthouse— which was now nothing more than a base— watching the destruction.

Unable to do anything. Unable to say anything.

"Max!"

"Max!"

Max started to blink, slowly waking up. She looked around, seeing Victoria and Chloe kneeling right next to her, making sure she was ok.

"Did I…"

"You passed out again," Chloe told her. Victoria's eyes went wide.

"Wait, again?" she asked.

"Max, why didn't you say anything? What's happened?" Victoria asked. She was panicked now.

"I told you I had those visions," Max said weakly, letting out a sigh. She felt under her nose— no blood, thankfully.

"You didn't say they involved passing out…" Victoria said quietly, nervous. Max frowned. She didn't want to stress her girlfriend out more if she could help it.

"It just… has happened. I haven't really been able to control it."

"What did you see this time?" Chloe asked.

"Just… the same, except worse. I'm starting to get really afraid… What if… what if there's nothing I— nothing we can do?" Max asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Don't say that Max, we're going to figure something out," Chloe assured her.

"Everything will be fine," Victoria added.

 _"I hope so…"_ Max thought, biting her lip slightly.

"So… what was that surprise you had, Chloe?" Max asked, pushing herself up. Chloe and Victoria each grabbed a shoulder to help her stand easier.

"Oh yeah, I was so caught up in everything happening I almost forgot," Chloe said, digging through her back pocket for a second, before pulling out a keyring— the one she took from David earlier.

"Are those…?" Victoria asked, eyes wide.

"Yes indeed, all of the keys for Blackwell Academy. With these we have full access to anywhere we may want to go," Chloe said, turning on her heel and walking to the door, Max and Victoria following behind.

"So what do you have in mind?" Max asked, quirking an eyebrow as she looked over at Victoria quickly, who was just as unsure as to what Chloe Price had planned.

"We're going into the principal's office. He just has to have something in there. Files, records, something, anything!" Chloe said, unlocking the front door and opening it, letting Max and Victoria walk in first. Chloe stepped in behind them, admittedly wanting to see if they would end up holding hands again at some point during their espionage.

No, she _wasn't_ jealous at all. She just didn't trust Victoria.

Yeah, that was it.

"You think there will be something in there about all of this?" Max asked, looking back at Chloe as the trio stopped outside the administration office.

"I do think there will be something on Nathan Prescott. And something on Rachel. There has to be," Chloe said in a huff, trying a number of keys before finally getting the right one.

"There _has_ to be," she repeated. The three walked over to the door to the principal's office, Chloe yanking on the handle.

"Figures it's locked. Why would Principal Wells just leave his office unlocked?" Victoria asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"Look, I just figured I'd try. You never know if that drunk asshole left his door unlocked," Chloe snapped, starting to go key after key after key, having no luck so far.

"Hey, I told you two not to fight," Max whined, and the blonde and blue-haired girl both scrunched their faces up and glanced away from each other, not exactly happy about pissing off Max.

"Sorry," both girls said at the same time. Max wasn't entirely convinced, but decided to just drop it.

After a minute, Chloe pounded on the door, frustrated.

"Fucking thing. His key's not on here!" she shouted.

"What?" Max asked, taking a step forward, closer to Chloe.

"None of these keys work. How can the head of security not have the fucking key to the principal's office?" she asked angrily.

"So we need to figure out how to get in…" Max mumbled, folding her arms.

"Any ideas?" Chloe asked the two.

"No, but I know someone I can ask," Max said, starting to pull out her phone.

"Who?" Chloe asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Warren—" Max started, but Victoria stomped over and stopped Max, gently lowering her phone. She wasn't going to be shown up by that guy. She never liked him. He was always so clingy over Max.

"No, I can handle this," Victoria said, as she left the office quick. Max and Chloe looked at each other, absolutely confused.

A few moments later, Victoria was back, fire extinguisher in her nicely manicured hands.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" Max asked nervously. She had a bad feeling about what her girlfriend had in mind.

"We don't have the keys and we don't have the time to waste asking Warren about something," Victoria told them, moving past Victoria, now right next to the door handle.

With a deep breath, Victoria lifted up the fire extinguisher, and then brought it down on the handle. While panting, she lifted it again and then brought it down one more time, busting the lock.

"You opened it!" Max said excitedly as Victoria set the fire extinguisher on the ground.

"That… was actually pretty fuckin' rad, Victoria," Chloe said with a smile. Both girls were pretty surprised at Victoria— considering she never seemed like the type of girl to get her hands dirty like that.

Moments later, alarms started to go off.

"Shit!" Max cursed, panicked.

Chloe opened the door to the principal's office and Victoria shoved her in, closing the door before Chloe could follow her in. Max stumbled in, looking around.

"Shit… shit… that alarm…" Max mumbled under her breath, head spinning from everything that was happening.

It suddenly dawned on her to rewind, reaching her arm out and doing so. After a bit, she put her hand down, and unlocked the door, opening it. Chloe's eyes were wide, while Victoria folded her arms, smirking.

"That's my girl," Victoria said.

"Wait… you mean you knew about this?" Chloe asked, looking at Victoria.

"Well, that's the idea I had in mind. I was going to open the door with this," Victoria said, motioning to the fire extinguisher that was now set on the ground, "and then Max would open the door."

"It was pretty awesome how you smashed that lock with the extinguisher," Max said, smiling. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Victoria? Doing dirty work? I'll believe it when I see it," Chloe said as she walked into the office, Victoria following behind.

"…Even after all this time, this office is still hella tacky…" Chloe mumbled, heading over to his desk and sitting down in the chair.

"Tacky, but comfy," she grinned.

"So, we're here for files?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah. Rachel's and Nathan's for sure. If we can find some others that might seem useful, get them too," Max said.

"You two do that, I'll look through the computer and see if I can find anything useful," Chloe told them, the other two girls nodding.

They all had their jobs, now it was just a matter of somehow managing to find what they needed to.

While Chloe was searching through Principal Wells's computer, Max and Victoria were busy searching through folders, tables, and bookcases. On a table at the other end of the room, Max opened a manila folder to see Kate's file.

Looking over it, it was all to be expected. A sterling 3.9 GPA, tons of positive notes about all of the community work she did, but there was a note at the end… what?

"In Kate's file… only the nurse believed something happened to her. That she went through some trauma recently… she even said to make sure other students don't give her shit and he didn't listen!" Max shouted angrily, about to tear the file in half.

"Seriously? Officials knew and they didn't do anything about it? Fucking… bastards…" Chloe grumbled angrily, narrowing her eyes.

"So, we already knew we couldn't trust anyone here, but now this proves it," Victoria said simply.

What the hell was Principal Wells doing? He had a nurse telling him something was wrong and he didn't care? No one cared?

What was going on?

"Hey, if you all want anything lighter… I found the file for one Maxine Caulfield," Victoria said, grinning. Chloe was excited, but Max was embarrassed, blushing bright red.

"Yo, you gotta bring that over in a bit. We need to see what Max has been up to here," Chloe grinned. Max simply sighed.

"So— we just need to find Rachel's files and Nathan's files… where could those even be…" Max thought out loud, doing her best to change the subject away from her file.

She did _**not**_ want to see what was in there. And she sure as hell didn't want Chloe or Victoria to see, either. Max had walked over near where Victoria was— who was holding Max's file under her arm.

Damn.

Max snooped around through some of the shelves, pulling out a few manila folders, eyes wide and mouth open when she saw one of them.

"Holy shit," Max said simply.

"What?" Victoria asked, glancing over.

"I found Chloe's file," Max said, setting the file on the desk, next to Chloe.

"Huh, they still kept it," Chloe said simply, narrowing her eyes at the school file marred with permanent marker.

"I almost forgot what your natural hair color was, Chloe. This is so bizarre," Max said. It was a weird window into the past— something that was so different compared to the now.

"You probably don't want to read it though. I'm sure they have nothing nice to say," Chloe told her.

"We should all keep searching, anyways," Victoria said. She would be lying if she were to say she wasn't jealous of their friendship. They had known each other forever, and even if her and Max were dating now, she knew they were _still_ probably closer than she and Max were…

She closed her eyes briefly and took a breath, hoping to calm down.

"Hey, Victoria, I found someone else's file," Max said in a sing-song voice. Victoria quirked an eyebrow.

She didn't mean…

"This is a really nice picture of you," Max said simply, and Victoria's eyes widened.

"Are you really going to look at my file?" Victoria asked.

"Well, I mean, we're all spying on everything already," Chloe interjected, grinning.

"Fair."

"Ok, ok, let's get focused. Rachel and Nathan," Max said.

"I think… I have… what we're looking for," Victoria said, pulling out two pieces of paper from a small, unlocked safe.

"And guess who just got into a bunch of documents and emails," Chloe said with a grin.

She didn't exactly want to be one-upped by Victoria Chase.

"Perfect," Max said, as Victoria and her moved to the desk, setting all that they found on the table. School files on Max, Kate, Victoria, Chloe, Rachel, and of course, Nathan.

"How the fuck does Nathan have a spotless record? Proud representation of Blackwell? Fuck off, he's nearly killed like, four people in two days," Chloe growled as the three started to look at his file.

"Him and his dad's money," Victoria told them, frown on her face, as the other two looked back at her.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"His dad donates a literal ton of money to Blackwell every year. I don't know for sure, but knowing what he's done— and does— I wouldn't be surprised if his dad slips Principal Wells some money under the table to cover up all the shit he's done, honestly," Victoria said, shrugging.

"So there's nothing we can do," Max sighed, feeling defeated. They had to figure out something to incriminate Nathan, and while he was getting suspended, news like this left Max feeling powerless. What could they do?

"Look, Max, we're going to find something. I promise. Fucker isn't getting away with anything he's done to anyone," Chloe said. She was determined— they all were— to getting justice.

"I hope so," Max said, now looking at her file, feeling absolutely embarrassed at how awful she seemed in comparison to Kate or Victoria. So she did her best to shuffle it off to the side next to Kate's file, hoping the two others wouldn't notice it.

"Victoria, you look really cute in this picture," Max said, smiling at Victoria's file. Chloe had to resist letting out a groan.

"Well, I do make sure to look my best always, you know me," Victoria joked.

"Which is why you're rocking those stylin' pajama bottoms?" Chloe asked, and Victoria rolled her eyes. It left Max feeling a bit better that they didn't start to argue over it.

"Maribeth? That's so adorable," Max giggled, commenting on Victoria's middle name. Victoria turned red.

"It's a family name…" she mumbled, embarrassed.

"It's cute and totally fits you," Max said, smiling at her girlfriend, who glanced off to the side.

"Well— here's Rachel's profile," Victoria said, setting it on the desk, even Chloe now looking over at it instead of focusing on the computer screen. Victoria was more than a bit flustered talking about her middle name and her file, even if Max did think it was cute.

"Rachel Amber is the quintessential student representation of Blackwell Academy… a career in international law and fashion modeling… no doubt that Rachel will achieve all of her dreams…" Max read, getting sadder and sadder with each sentence. She had the world ahead of her… and now she was missing…

"She was the best… she had everything ahead of her… and now she's gone," Chloe sighed. She looked… Almost near tears?

 _"No wonder Chloe and her dated… who wouldn't want to date someone as cool as Rachel Amber?"_ Max thought. In comparison Max was… nothing.

Why was she thinking that? She had a girlfriend, Chloe had a girlfriend… everything was fine.

…

Maybe it wasn't.

 _"Just… focus, Max."_

"They closed her fucking investigation! They barely even tried and it's been closed!" Chloe shouted.

"…Fucking assholes…"

"We're going to have to find her ourselves then, if the police aren't going to help," Max said quietly.

"What did you find on that computer, Chloe?" Victoria asked, leaning forward to look at the monitor.

"Computer, right," Chloe started, wheeling the chair back in front of the computer, Max and Victoria moving to each side of her and leaning in to look at the monitor.

"I knew it!" Chloe said after a few moments, pointing to a document on the screen. It covered everything bad Nathan had done at Blackwell: throwing chairs, lighting fireworks in the bathroom, screaming at teachers.

"Of course there's nothing there about pulling a gun on a student," Max grumbled.

"Yup, this has all happened… multiple times. His dad definitely gives money to Principal Wells under the table to keep his record clean. I've definitely heard him bragging about a bunch of this at Vortex Club parties…" Victoria told them.

"So we're lucky he even got suspended…" Max said.

"Well, he's been sort of suspended before… but he just sits in his room for a few days, drinks, and then comes back like nothing happened. Nothing on his file sticks," Victoria explained.

"Ok, ok, what else do we have…" Chloe said, scrolling through different things.

"Once again, step-fucker is causing all sorts of shit. Blaming Kate for shit, thinking Rachel— thinking she pushes drugs because of Nathan? Fuck this! And he went along with it because he thinks she wasn't a good influence!" Chloe shouted, about ready to toss the monitor.

"He doesn't trust anyone," Max said, folding her arms. For the head of security, he sure was doing the worst possible job at his job ever. People were suffering for it.

"What's that drawing?" Victoria asked, grabbing the mouse from Chloe and switching to another window. On it was what looked like a bunch of scribbles.

"Rachel in the dark room… it just says that over and over and over," Chloe said. Victoria was silent throughout all of it as she examined the picture, eyes wide.

"Nathan definitely had something to do with Rachel being gone… I know it. I can just… I can feel it," Max said, frowning.

"We're just getting more confused. We know Nathan is an issue, we know step-douche is an issue… but what did they do? What the fuck happened to Rachel… what happened to Kate?" Chloe asked, at a loss.

"We'll— we'll figure this out, Chloe. We can go find more of David's files back at your house. We'll figure out what his part in this is. I promise. We're going to figure everything out," Max said, putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder, hoping to reassure her.

Though Max was barely sure about this all herself. What the hell did "Rachel in the dark room" mean? Why was Nathan accusing Rachel of drugs when her record was spotless?

What the hell was David Madsen doing in all of this?

Silence filled the air for a few moments before Victoria walked around to the other side of the desk.

"…Maybe we should get going. I think we've run out of clues in this place," Victoria said, now near the door, looking back at the two of them.

"Yeah, yeah, just let me check a bit more quick," Chloe said, starting to rifle through drawers as Max started to walk over to Victoria, grabbing her hand as soon as she was in arm's reach.

"Wait, holy shit— Max! Victoria! You both… holy shit you both have to see this…" Chloe said, in awe at… something. The brunette and blonde exchanged glances before heading back to where Chloe was. Their eyes widened to see Chloe holding a huge stack of money.

"What is that?" Victoria asked.

"It's money. Don't you, like, see enough of it everyday?" Chloe asked, Victoria rolling her eyes.

"I know that, Price, just… why is it there? How much is it?" she asked in response.

"It's part of the handicapped fund. There's like… five thousand in here. Max, I could pay Frank off in the morning with this. He'd get off our backs in no time!" Chloe said, excited. She didn't even care about Max and Victoria holding hands. This was amazing.

"Chloe, you're not… you can't take from the handicapped fund. People need that money. You and I— we all have to be better than using stolen money— stolen money from a handicapped fund— to pay Frank off," Max told her.

Chloe stayed silent, looking down at the money she was holding in her hands.

"We'll figure out paying back Frank, I promise. But we shouldn't resort to stealing money like this. We're better than this. We all are," Max said, smiling at Chloe and Victoria.

"…Fuck." Was all Chloe said after some silence.

With a sigh, Chloe put the money back in the envelope and back in the drawer, closing it. As much as it hurt.

"You're right, Max. Sorry…" Chloe apologized.

"It's fine Chloe. I promise, we'll figure something out. Frank isn't going to hurt you," Max told her. She'd make sure of it.

Even if she still wasn't sure how they'd come up with all that money to pay off Frank.

"Thanks. Come on, let's get going," Chloe said, pushing herself up out of the chair and starting to stomp over to the door.

Max and Victoria followed behind, stopping as Chloe stopped in front of the door.

"What's up?" Max asked, quirking an eyebrow, curious why Chloe stopped all of a sudden.

"Look, I have an idea," Chloe said, grinning— even if the two others could see it.

But Max and Victoria were definitely nervous about whatever Chloe had in store. If this week was any indication, Max was going to have trouble being comfortable with any surprise that Chloe had ever again.

"What?" Max, genuinely curious.

Chloe turned around, holding up the large ring of keys again.

"Late night swim, anyone?" she asked, a devilish grin on her face.

Max's jaw dropped, while Victoria had a grin on her face.

"You would suggest that, wouldn't you, Price?" she asked.

"Do you— you both really think it's a good idea?" Max asked.

"It's only Tuesday and we've already been through hell and back. Plus, if everything goes to shit on Friday, it would be nice to just… you know, relax with my best friend," she said solemnly. It was something none of them wanted to think about, but the idea of relaxing, swimming at night with her best friend… Chloe didn't want anything else in the world, right now.

…Though the fact that they had to bring along Victoria Chase wasn't that great.

But Chloe would put up with it.

For Max.

Max smiled, hoping to lighten the sad mood that had fallen over the three girls.

"Let's do it. We need a little break from all the shit going on. We hella deserve it," Max said.

"You did not just say hella," Victoria said, stifling a laugh. Her girlfriend was _such_ a dork.

"And Joyce thought I was a bad influence on you…" Chloe grinned, opening the door for the two girls, following behind them once they left, shutting the door to Principal Wells's office after.

Somehow no security, no one was around at all as the trio left the administration office and the school building, now heading over to the gymnasium and pool. Max was nervous about the possibility of being caught, but as long as Victoria and Chloe were calm… she could calm down.

Probably.

"Oh, you'll never guess who I saw leaving when I first got here," Chloe teased. Truth be told, seeing Max and Victoria holding hands at first had made her forget all a bout it.

"Who?" Max asked curiously.

"That teacher of yours you love— Mr. Jefferson."

"This late at night? What was he doing here?" Max asked.

"No clue. He was talking about that photography contest you haven't entered yet," Chloe started to explain.

"He's upset you didn't enter yet. He says he thinks you could win if you entered something."

Max was red. Mr. Jefferson _really_ thought she could win the Everyday Heroes contest? No way.

"Really?" Max asked, still in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"You should enter, Maxine. If Mr. Jefferson thinks you could win, there's no harm in trying," Victoria told her.

"Oh, um, Chloe… did Mr. Jefferson mention me at all, by any chance?" Victoria asked. She had to know.

"No, just Max. He said she was perfect for it," Chloe said with a shrug. Victoria glanced off to the side, biting the inside of her cheek.

Max was a great photographer, and so was she. There was no reason to be upset, no reason to be jealous. Whoever won, won, and Victoria would encourage her girlfriend to enter no matter what.

"Oh, awesome…" Max said, blushing. Mr. Jefferson thinking she was the best for the Everyday Heroes contest?

Maybe she was good enough for Blackwell, after all.

Finally, they reached the building that housed the pool, and Chloe unlocked it, pulling open the door for the blonde and brunette.

"After you, ladies."

Nothing bad would happen, the three would just have a nice night swimming for a while, and probably head back to Max's room to rest.

Though… seeing Chloe and Victoria in probably just their underwear, swimming with her?

Max was nervous just thinking about it.

She _knew_ she had strong feelings for Victoria, maybe even love.

But thinking about it more and more… did she have those same feelings for Chloe?

Shit.


	14. Not Like Old Times

**Sorry for the long delay! School has been starting up and I've been, dare I say, *hella* busy. Updates might be slow as I'm preparing for a conference, as well as dealing with school, but I will do my best to make sure I can keep chapters, oneshots, and more coming in the coming months. I have most of the rest of the fic planned out in some way, so, let's keep it rolling with this chapter! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The three girls entered the gymnasium, looking around in the entranceway. No one was around, no security guards, no alarms going off.

Nothing.

"Seriously, they don't have any security at night? What the fuck is wrong with them?" Chloe asked.

"…Not that I'm complaining, or anything," she added quickly.

"I can't believe we're doing this…" Max said, smile on her face. This week had been one of her first real times she had ever really broken any rules. That she acted out, and done something like this. Sneaking around after school curfew, breaking into the school pool. It was the absolute opposite of her.

It was great.

Though it still left her nervous, butterflies in her knotted up stomach, but her girlfriend and best friend there with her. She felt strong. She felt like she could tackle the world head-first and not be afraid.

…Even if all they were doing at the moment was sneaking into the pool to take a late night swim.

"You know, when we had our first day in Mr. Jefferson's class, sneaking around, swimming at night with you, Max, and especially Chloe, was the last thing I ever expected… but I'm looking forward to it," Victoria said, looking over at Max, who was peering through the windows on the door to the girl's lockers.

"Well, since all of us are hella gay, should we go to the girl's lockers?" Chloe asked, wide grin on her face as she walked behind Max, putting her hands on her shoulders.

"You could always see what's in your girlfriend's locker," Chloe teased in a sing-song voice. The couple both turned bright red, Victoria looking away, scrunching her eyes shut.

"I swear to god, Price!"

Max turned around and started to walk over to Victoria, wrapping her arms around her in a hug. Chloe rolled her eyes and started working through keys to find the right one.

"Don't worry I won't look through your locker, Victoria," Max assured her sweetly.

"I will, though!" Chloe shouted over, still searching for the right key.

"Look, I love you and respect your privacy and—" Max whispered to Victoria.

"What?"

 _"Oh no… did I just…"_ Max thought, blushing brightly as she started to realize just what she said.

"Did you just… did you just say what— did you just say that?" Victoria asked, turning to look at the brunette at her side, eyes wide.

"I— uh."

The sound of the door to the girl's locker room opening led to silence between the two girls as Chloe looked over at them.

"Hey, lovebirds! Come on already!" Chloe shouted to them. The two nearly jumped where they were standing and turned to face Chloe, both girls bright red.

"If you both would rather make out than go swimming, be my guest, but if not, then you both better hurry up," Chloe said as she walked into the locker room.

"Let's get going," Max said as she took a step forward, but Victoria grabbed her arm.

"We need to talk about this, what you just said Max," Victoria whispered to her.

"I— I know. But we can't talk about it in front of Chloe. This has to be just between us," Max told her.

"Soon?"

"Soon. I promise. As soon as we're back at your dorm, we'll talk about it. Even if we have to stay up all night, we'll talk about it," Max told her with a nod. Victoria smiled, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey! Max! Victoria! You better get in here quick!"

Shit.

Max just hoped Chloe didn't see some guard sleeping on the job or… Nathan, or something.

"What's wrong?" Max asked as she and Victoria had run into the locker room, Chloe facing them, something in her hands.

Chloe looked up, smile on her face, as she shoved what she was holding into Max's hands. Max looked at them to see three selfies— selfies of Victoria. She was making silly faces and looking, well, beautiful as she did ridiculous. Max giggled, but as soon as Victoria peered over her shoulder to see what she had in her hands, she pulled her arm around to grab them from her.

"Chloe! Is it _that_ hard not to snoop through my gym locker?" Victoria asked, narrowing her eyes at her.

"Hey, I saw an open locker, what if there was some sort of clue inside?" she grinned.

"You know there are no clues about Kate or Nathan or Rachel in there," Victoria said, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes at Chloe.

"Come on, you're friends with Nathan Prescott! You've bullied Kate! You never liked Rachel and were always a bitch to her!" Chloe shouted, taking an angry step towards Victoria.

"I've been making up for it!"

Max bit her lip. What was she supposed to do? Her best friend and her girlfriend were going at it— and with the mention of Rachel, Chloe was mad. Really mad. She hadn't seen her that mad before. Not even on Monday when they had first met up again after all these years.

"Chloe! Victoria! Please, just calm down! We're on the same side!" Max begged. But neither seemed to be backing down— both were glaring at each other. Both looked like they were about to throw punches.

"All that shit happened to Kate happened because of you and your Vortex Club friends!"

"I told my friends to stop! Nathan doesn't listen to me! I may have taken that video but that was before I turned around!"

It was hard for Max to listen to this all. It was almost like she was reaching a breaking point with this.

"How do we know you aren't playing some long con with all this? You say you're on our side, you say you're dating Max, how do we know you're not letting Nathan know everything we're doing? You could be texting him and letting him know everything so he can hide evidence!" Chloe shouted.

"Chloe stop it!"

…

Chloe and Victoria looked over at Max, stunned silent. Both had rarely seen the brunette like that before. She shouted, she was angry, she was starting to tear up.

"Chloe, you can't throw all this on Victoria. She made some mistakes in the past, yeah, but she's being sincere now with helping us. I talked to her yesterday, and she told her friends to stop spreading around the video and to lighten up on Kate," Max started.

"I know you don't like her, I didn't either, but we're a team now. We shouldn't be suspecting each other! We have to work together! We're all doing this for the same reasons: to find Rachel and to bring Nathan to justice for Kate," Max explained.

Chloe frowned and narrowed her eyes, looking off to the side.

"Chloe, I don't want to upset you, but this can't happen. Can we all work as a team? _Please_?" Max asked, taking a step toward her.

"…Fine. Fine I'll lay off. Sorry. I'll go check the pool, make sure step-douche isn't there," Chloe mumbled as she shoved her hands in her pockets, walking around the row of lockers and leaving the room. Victoria walked up to Max, pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks, Maxine. You didn't have to do that, but you did, and that means a lot to me," Victoria told her, Max slowly hugging her back.

 _"I could have told Victoria to not get into it with Chloe. I could have been a good friend to Chloe. Chloe's already been mad at me a bunch for all the shit I've done…"_ Max thought as she took in a sharp breath.

She could always rewind, but it felt wrong. Would that even fix anything? Even if it did, she'd still have the memory of what she did to Chloe. How she messed up.

Again.

"By the way, Max… did you really mean that earlier? When you said you love me?" Victoria asked, her face turning pink. Max pulled away from her, biting her lip.

"Yeah… I mean, I think I do? I know we like, just became a couple, but I might? I think you're really great, and just… I'm sorry. I probably said it way too early, but it just blurted out," Max mumbled.

"Max, it's ok. I think it's sweet and cute. And it means a lot to me that you feel this way. I think… I might even love you too," Victoria told her.

Now Max was the one who was taken aback.

"Really?"

"I mean, I might, yeah… I'm sure I'll figure out soon, but I really just might, Caulfield," Victoria said, offering a smile.

"O-Oh… that's… awesome," Max stuttered out, unsure of what to say at that moment. The idea that Victoria loved her had her head spinning. Especially with everything that had just been happening.

Especially with how she was sure she felt about Chloe, too.

"Though, um, maybe we should catch up with Chloe? Make sure she's ok and all," Max suggested. Victoria nodded.

"Yeah, good idea, let's go," she said, grabbing Max's head and heading through the bathrooms and to the pool.

When the couple got out to the pool, Chloe was sitting there, right next to the pool, legs brought up to her chest, slowly moving her hand through the water, watching the ripples.

"Thought you two were going to leave…" Chloe mumbled, able to hear their footsteps on the ceramic tiles.

"Of course we're not going to leave. We said we were going to have a late night swim, so we're going to have a late night swim," Max told her, smile on her face. Chloe wasn't looking over at her, but hopefully she'd just be able to tell somehow.

"Well, if one of you wants to turn on the lights that would be nice. Pool's pretty cold right now," Chloe said simply.

"I'll look for the lights and the heater," Victoria said, walking off to explore and look for where the controls could be. Upon her leaving, Chloe stood up, starting to undress.

Max blushed as she watched Chloe take her shirt off, looking away.

"Come on, you're dating someone, you can't be that embarrassed to see a girl in their underwear. Especially me," Chloe said. Her tone was just… it felt cold, and Max completely deserved it.

"You're right, I'm just being silly," Max said, shedding her sweatshirt and bag, following with her shirt.

"Well, you're probably still distracted by Victoria."

Max frowned, looking over at the pool, trying to think of what to say. She wanted to fix all of her mistakes she had made with Chloe— both tonight, and everything she had done in the past.

"Chloe, I'm really sorry about what I did a few minutes ago, honest. I shouldn't have snapped at you," Max told her, starting to pull her pants down. Now, like Chloe, she was just in bra and underwear. Max shivered, hoping Victoria would turn on the lights soon.

"You're right, Max."

 _Ouch._

"Chloe, I really am sorry. You're my best friend— ever. Girlfriend or no girlfriend, you're the most important person in my life, and that will never change," Max said as she put a hand on Chloe's shoulder. Chloe looked away from Max. She was touched— after everything that had happened, she didn't expect this to still be the case.

"You've had a funny way of showing it this week."

"I know, and I'm sorry. With Kate… you know how things have been," Max started, and Chloe nodded. At this point, after having met Kate, after talking to her, she couldn't be mad at Kate. Nothing was her fault.

Victoria, on the other hand, had stepped in between her and Max this whole week. It was her she was mad at, deep down. Well, not entirely deep down.

…Even if she wasn't exactly happy with how Max had snapped at her.

"Yeah, I know, Max. I heard about Kate. Even Joyce had heard by the time I started to head here," Chloe said. She didn't want to tell Max about how she visited her, not yet at least. But she had seen the damage that had been caused firsthand, and she was more than pissed about it.

"And… I know about Victoria. She can be a bit cold, but she's improving, I promise. I just want you two to get along. That's all I want."

Chloe sighed and looked at her.

"It's not… it's not going to be that easy, Max. We don't exactly have the best history. Not just between her and Rachel, but her and me as well. She's always given me shit for being a loser and a fuck up," Chloe explained.

"Plus, she's part of the Vortex Club, and that club and Nathan have always been nothing but bad shit, even when I went to Blackwell. Even if you two are dating, I have my reservations about her still. That's just something you're going to have to deal with for now," Chloe told her.

Max stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Before she even could say anything, Chloe spoke up again.

"Max… you're important to me, too. You're probably the most important person I could think of. You're my best friend, even when you left for Seattle… That's why I have such a bad feeling about this. Because I know what Victoria has done and how she treats people. I don't want her to hurt you."

Max was stunned silent at this point. She didn't know what to say. It meant a lot to hear that.

"So you're… you don't hate me?" Max asked nervously, hands clasped together nervously.

"Of course not, don't be stupid. I get mad at you sometimes, but I don't think there's anything that you could do to make me hate you," Chloe said. At that moment Max moved forward and pulled her best friend into a tight hug. Chloe was surprised but quickly hugged her back, holding on just as tight. Both of them felt like they were going to start tearing up any moment.

"I'm so glad we're back together again— in action," Max said, quickly adding that last part. She didn't want to sound weird in front of Chloe.

It was probably too late for that, though.

Finally, as if on cue, the lights to the pool came on, illuminating the whole room a cool blue.

Victoria started to step out of the swim team's coach's office, quirking an eyebrow at Max and Chloe so close in their hug.

"Hi, I finally uh, found the controls for the pool," Victoria told them, stepping closer to them. It took a moment for Max and Chloe to realize what was happening, breaking away shortly after.

 _"So they were both… hugging… in their underwear? Don't worry, Vic. Just keep your cool. Max is your girlfriend,"_ Victoria thought.

"Awesome, thanks," Chloe said quickly, turning toward the pool and jumping into it.

Victoria walked over to Max, looking her up and down.

"You know, I wouldn't mind seeing you in an actual bikini," Victoria teased, as Max turned bright red. Chloe turned away at Victoria's comment.

It wasn't jealousy. It wasn't jealousy.

It wasn't jealousy.

She had to keep telling herself that.

Victoria now was starting to undress, taking off her tank top and her sweats, ending up in her nice underwear. Chloe had half a mind to make a comment, but bit back. Everything was already fucked up tonight, and for once she didn't want to make it worse.

"Are you sure you'll be able to swim in that?" Max asked.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Victoria laughed, waving Max off. Max took a few steps back, before running to the pool, jumping into it, splashing Chloe and Victoria. Chloe started laughing, splashing Max back, while Victoria furrowed her eyebrows.

"Ok! Ok! I'm coming in!" she shouted, running and jumping into the pool, landing between Chloe and Max. Chloe wasn't exactly happy about Victoria just happening to land between the two of them, but she stopped herself— again.

"This… this was a really nice idea, Chloe," Victoria said as she started to tread over to Max.

"Thanks."

Max was looking down at the water as she stayed in place, deep in thought about the conversations she had just had with Victoria and Chloe.

"Everything ok, Max?" Chloe asked.

"I'm just… scared."

Both Chloe and Victoria remained silent. There were so many things lording over them all at the moment— Max especially— that it was no surprise she was still on edge.

"Every time I've had that… that vision, whatever it is, that tornado keeps getting worse. What if there's nothing we can do about it?" Max asked.

"Max, I've known you basically your whole life," Chloe started.

"This week… ever since we saw each other again— ever since I watched you take on Nathan Prescott with no fear— you've been different. You've become like, this force of nature. You're going to figure this out. I know it. I promise."

It was hard for Max to believe she was any type of force of nature. She was a small, shy wallflower. How could anyone possibly think of her as a force of nature? Especially someone like Chloe, who actually was tough. Who actually could be considered a force of nature.

"What if the town gets destroyed though?" Max asked. With each vision getting more and more intense, feeling more and more real, it seemed like it was going to happen.

That there would be nothing she could do about it.

"Max… I promise, we're going to figure this out, somehow. The tornado isn't until Friday. We don't even know when on Friday. It could be late, for all we know. We have time. We'll figure it out," Victoria assured her, swimming over and putting a hand on her shoulder. Chloe looked away, resisting rolling her eyes as she instead started to swim over to the side of the pool, resting her arms on the edge of the pool.

Max followed not too far behind her, moving to the left side of her best friend. Victoria quickly swam over as soon as Max had left her side, moving next to Max. Although Max could still feel some tension in the air, she felt at ease with the two of them next to her. She felt invincible— like she could actually take this week on.

Like going against this tornado would be a piece of cake.

"What if I messed up with something though? What if I didn't find something? Like, what if I messed up not finding something about Nathan and the Vortex Club and because of this everything is ruined?" Max asked. Even with as brave as she felt, there was still the fear creeping in her mind: That something she did— or didn't do— fucked everything up. That because of her everything would be destroyed on Friday.

"Max…" Victoria said quietly, scared of the sheer stress that was on her girlfriend right now. She couldn't imagine what this was like at all. She had these amazing powers, and maybe she wouldn't be able to fix everything?

"I know you don't want to hear this, but you can't focus on this now, Max," Chloe started. Max looked over at her, frowning. No doubt Chloe had the best intentions with what she was planning on saying, but what she started with sure wasn't helping.

"You can't, like, go back far enough to change anything that major at this point, right?"

"Yeah…"

"So there's no point thinking about that stuff. We just have to keep moving forward in time. If we made mistakes, then there's nothing we can do about it at this point. But what we can do is make sure we don't fuck up from here on out," Chloe explained.

It made sense.

That's what she had to do right now with Chloe.

Keep moving forward in time and fix things between herself and Chloe. Make sure things remained solid between herself and Victoria. Make sure Kate was ok.

"You're right," Max said quietly, nodding to herself.

"Everything will be fine. I know you'll make sure of it. You've done a great job so far. You've made sure Kate's ok. You've saved my life. Whatever comes your way this week… I know you'll make the right choice," Victoria assured her with a smile. She wanted to give her girlfriend a reassuring kiss, but with Chloe there, well…

…It probably wasn't the best idea.

Damnit, Price.

"Hey, so do y'all wanna get going? I think I'm kinda done with my yearly swim," Chloe said as she pushed herself up out of the pool.

"Probably a good idea… I am starting to get tired again. I feel like the adrenaline rush of breaking into multiple parts of the school is starting to wear down," Max said.

"Not to mention the chlorine smell and the wrinkles," Victoria sighed.

"You would complain about that, Victoria," Max giggled as she and Victoria got out of the pool. Chloe was already dressed, and now Max and Victoria were putting on their clothes. Chloe stayed silent, looking away from the two, not wanting to acknowledge their joking around. How close they were.

Sure, Max had said it was ok— that they were still close— but stuff like this left Chloe feeling self-conscious and unsure in ways she rarely was. Why was she even feeling like this in the first place?

…She knew why, but she didn't want to believe it… she couldn't.

"You two dressed yet?" Chloe asked, a bit too impatient at their giggling.

"Yeah, we are!" Max said as Chloe turned around to look at the two, but her eyes widened as a door at the other end of the room opened, a flashlight beam shooting out from it.

"Anyone in here? We saw the lights come on! Come on out, no one's supposed to be here!" a voice shouted. Not David's, but one of the other security guards at the school.

"Shit!" Chloe cursed under her breath, waving to the duo as they ran back into the girl's locker room.

The three tiptoed in silence through the girl's locker room until they reached the door. They could hear the doors that entered into the building from the front open.

"Look, you punks that broke in here, just come on out now! I don't want to have to go chasing you all around, and I will not be happy when I find you!" came the voice of Blackwell's head of security, David Madsen. Victoria and Max were crouched down in front of the door, Chloe's head just barely peeking up to look through the window, seeing David go into the boy's locker room after a moment of looking around.

"He must figure it's one of the Bigfoots trying to fuck up the locker room or something. Come on, let's go," Chloe whispered, pushing open the door as quietly as she could. As soon as it was open, Max and Victoria ran out and Chloe followed behind, the trio bursting through the doors and leaving the building. David had heard footsteps as the group left, but it was too late, they were already on their way to Chloe's truck.

"Chloe! Shouldn't we be heading back to the dorms?" Max asked between breaths.

"No way, that area is gonna be under super surveillance. Come on, we'll head back to my place. Step-dick won't be home so we'll have an alibi," Chloe told her as the group reached the truck, getting into the driver's side. Max and Victoria hopping into the passenger's side, Max sitting in the middle.

In between the two girls she was crushing on massively.

"Even me?" Victoria asked, quirking an eyebrow. She half expected Chloe to leave her then and there.

"…Even you, Victoria. I'm not gonna leave you to get shit on by David. That'd… just be a real dick move," she explained.

"See, we can all be friends after all. We're an awesome team. Just think of everything we got done tonight. Everything we found," Max said, looking at her best friend and girlfriend.

"Yeah, we were a real great team tonight," Chloe admitted with a sigh, before looking over at Max, grinning. The three were off to Chloe's house to hide for the night, and things were finally going well.

Max honestly didn't expect things would go nearly this decently once Chloe brought up the idea of breaking into the school.

"We'll just have to start putting together our clues and figuring out what to do… where to go with all of this," Victoria said as she rested her head on Max's shoulder— leading Max to turn a bright red. Victoria was great at doing that.

"Tomorrow. We'll put together some plan of attack. We'll figure out how to take Nathan on. We're so close, I know it. I can feel it," Chloe said, eyes focused on the wheel, tightening her grip on it. It was the only way she could focus on the road and not Victoria resting on Max.

"Nathan is suspended. We found some stuff on Principal Wells's computer. We have this all ready. We'll figure out all these mysteries," Max said.

"And we'll be ready for Friday…" Chloe said. Max hoped so. They all did.

They had finally reached Chloe's house, all of the lights out, and David wasn't back, as expected. The trio left the truck and looked up at Chloe's window.

"Ok, ready to climb up?" Chloe asked, and Max nodded.

"…Are you sure this is safe?" Victoria asked, looking at Chloe.

"It's fine, Victoria. Chloe and I have done this so many times. We did it yesterday, even. I'll make sure nothing happens to you," she assured her girlfriend with a smile.

"Yeah, now come on, let's get going before some cop passes by and sees us," Chloe said, lacing her hands together and helping Max up. With the boost, Max managed to get onto the roof, right in front of the window into Chloe's room. After, Chloe boosted Victoria up, and Max grabbed onto her to help her up.

Finally was Chloe, who, thanks to Victoria and Max, was just barely able to get up after a few jumps.

"Knew I should have parked the truck closer," Chloe sighed, as she crawled over to the window and popped it up. She always kept it unlocked so she could sneak in and out as she saw fit, and times like this were the exact reasons why she did so.

"Don't be so loud. We don't need Joyce screaming at us," Chloe warned them as Max stumbled in, just barely not falling and knocking everything off Chloe's desk. Victoria followed behind her, daintily stepping in and on the desk, reaching the floor like it was nothing.

Chloe was in after them, shutting the window and heading towards her dresser.

"Come on Max, that stuff is all soaked with chlorine," she told her, tossing her one of her shirts and a pair of pajama shorts to wear. Max was surprised, and barely managed to catch them.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting into something actually comfortable," she said as she started to shed her clothes just like earlier.

"This is an outfit I don't mind seeing," Victoria teased as Max had changed into the pajamas.

"I mean, if things actually calm down, then this wouldn't be that much trouble," Max told her, while Chloe rolled her eyes.

"If you two are gonna keep this up, do you both just wanna get a room? The tub is always free," Chloe said, pointing her thumb to the direction of the door.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop, Chloe," Victoria told her. Maybe she would stop. It was, as awful as it would probably be to admit, still fun to tease Max and Chloe like this about the relationship.

Chloe was now changed, a black shirt and pajama shorts, similar to Max.

"You know, it's like we're having a sleepover again," Max said, as Chloe laughed.

"Yeah, though I think I'll pass on the popcorn and video games tonight, I'm wiped," Chloe said, walking over and collapsing onto the left side of the bed, head hitting hard against the pillow.

"Yeah… me too… It's been… today was hella long," Max sighed, as she managed to fall onto the bed, crawling towards the pillow and then lying down in the middle. She had the sneaking suspicion that Chloe and Victoria wouldn't want to lie next to each other.

Though it still made Max nervous— even more than before.

She was going to be sleeping with the two girls she was in love with.

Granted it was just sleeping, but still.

"Maxine I will never get over you saying hella," Victoria whispered as she lied down next to her girlfriend, closing her eyes.

…

In what seemed like no time at all, it was morning. Light was coming in through Chloe's blinds, and soft indie music was playing on her stereo— it must have been some sort of alarm, Max figured. Still groggy, Max turned over towards Chloe.

"I can't believe that you like indie music so much," she whispered, smile on her face.

"I'm full of surprises, Max. You've been gone a long time," Chloe told her.

"I'm so glad we're back together again. I don't think anything could make me happier," Max told her. As much as Chloe was tempted to ask about the sleeping Victoria next to Max— the one that Max was dating— she didn't want to. This was a moment between them and there was no way the blonde was going to be brought up.

"Max… you coming back… you've really done a lot for me this week."

"Even with everything that's happened?" Max asked, definitely more than a bit nervous. She bit her lip, hoping Chloe's response would be good.

"…Even with everything that's happened. It's been one of the best things to happen to me in a long time…" Chloe told her. After her father passed away, things had felt like shit for so long, but now Max was back and things felt… right again.

"I'm so glad. I wasn't a hundred percent sure I'd ever seen you again after… after everything," Max told her. Even though she was scared to face her again after leaving for Seattle, she was glad she did.

"But now we're back together again. We're a team and we're going to tear Arcadia Bay up, just like old times."

"And we'll make sure we figure everything out."

"We will. Max and Chloe."

"Just like old times," Max said, smile on her face.

The two girls were face to face, and started to move closer and closer to each other. Their eyes closed and then—

They kissed.

It was sweet and passionate. Much like the kiss she had shared with Victoria. But there was something about this. Some sort of spark.

…Admittedly, Max could have sworn there was a similar 'spark' with Victoria.

As conflicted as she was by her feelings still, her brain didn't focus on that, instead focused on kissing Chloe.

The two remained locked together for a few moments more, before slowly breaking away.

 _"No no no… no I did not just do that. Max you're dating Victoria, you did not just do that…"_

Max was breathing nervously, while Chloe's eyes widened.

"Max…?"


	15. Blonde is the Coldest Color

**Two months later and finally an update! I'm *so* sorry for this being so late, everyone :( GDC and school were so busy, but now I'm back and this will start seeing updates. Most of the rest of the fic is planned out, so from here on out it'll just be writing it. Next chapter will be the end of episode 3. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Max froze as soon as she heard Victoria's voice. It was almost as if everything in the past minute or so hadn't even registered in her mind, that she was just doing it automatically. That kiss with Chloe… it just…

Happened.

As much as Max liked it, there was now the realization that she actually kissed Chloe. She betrayed her girlfriend. Her girlfriend she had just started dating not even twelve hours ago. And she had already kissed someone else.

That someone else who was her best friend in the world.

…And the other girl that Max Caulfield was pretty sure she was in love with…

"Max…?"

She was finally snapped out of her thoughts as she turned around to look at Victoria, who was sitting up. Max pushed herself up, while Chloe looked away, still lying down. It was just as awkward for her as it was for Max. Well, maybe not _as_ awkward, but still pretty awkward. Even if she didn't like Victoria, it wasn't like she wanted to be some sort of homewrecker or anything.

"G-good morning, Victoria," Max choked out nervously.

"Max… did you just… you just kissed Chloe…" she said quietly, looking down. What was Max trying to do? They were so close last night— she had even said she loved her! But then she and Chloe hugged and now… this? What was Max trying to do to her? Was this all some big lie?

Was Victoria wrong in falling for Maxine Caulfield?

"Victoria… I— I— I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to, honest. It just—" Max tried to reason, but with the more that she said, the more she didn't realize what she was saying. It wasn't helping.

"Max, why would you do this?" Victoria asked. She could almost feel herself starting to cry. She wanted to break down right then and there. Big bad Victoria, ready to cry in Chloe Price's room, over Max Caulfield.

No one would believe her, but if they did, they would laugh their asses off.

"I… I don't know, Victoria… I was groggy, I had just woken up and… Chloe and I just kissed," she sighed. Max had absolutely no excuse for what she did. She knew that, but she had still made the mistake of kissing Chloe.

"Max…"

"Victoria, I'm sorry. It's my fault too. I kissed her back. I mean, yeah, she kissed me, but any time I could've pushed her away and stopped her, but I didn't. I'm sorry," Chloe said, finally sitting up too, looking at the blonde. There was a look of pain and sadness in her eyes, one that was more than easy enough for Chloe to see, and she was even starting to feel bad now.

Silence and tension filled Chloe's room for a few minutes. Victoria was looking down at Chloe's bed, while Max and Chloe were both looking at Victoria: with Chloe feeling like shit for what had happened, and Max feeling even worse— like she was about to be sick.

"…Ok," Victoria finally said after a few moments, breaking the silence, but not the tension that filled the air. Max leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend in a hug.

"I'm— I'm so sorry Victoria. I never meant to hurt you, I'd never want to hurt you. I'm so sorry," Max told her, doing her best not to tear up. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't get Chloe out of her head. Her kiss with her best friend just wanted to replay over and over.

Victoria eventually put her arms around Max, putting her head into the brunette's shoulder for a few moments. The whole time, Chloe looked away, she couldn't look at it. As much as she regretted kissing Max, she couldn't stand to look at them close like this still.

…And here she was, Rachel's girlfriend and she had betrayed her like Max did to Victoria.

 _"You're a real piece of work, Price…"_ she thought with a sigh, Max and Victoria finally letting go of each other. At least she didn't have to look at that now. She just… had to keep Max off her mind.

That was never really possible.

Finally, the two broke apart, and Max planted a small kiss on Victoria's cheek, while Victoria was still staring down, and Max couldn't help but frown.

Did she mess everything up? For good?

…Though really, she deserved it. Who even kissed their best friend when they had a girlfriend!?

The same girl who fell in love with their best friend when they already were dating someone.

"Hey, so, uh, we should probably get up, huh? We have a lot to do today…" Chloe said quietly, wanting to break up the awkward silence in the room, but honestly terrified that either of them would bite her head off for the mere suggestion of getting the day started.

"We probably should," Victoria said with a sigh after a few more moments of silence. She didn't want to be around Chloe at all right now— and she was even having trouble wanting to be near Max.

"You… you need a change of clothes or anything, Chase? Wouldn't it be like… a faux-pas to wear your pajamas into the next day or something?" Chloe asked.

She _hated_ Victoria still. That would never change. But last thing she needed was to fuck everything up more. She had done it enough.

And honestly? Chloe would be surprised if Max still wanted anything to do with her after today. Her girlfriend gone and cheated on, her best friend now having trouble with her own girlfriend because of her.

Maybe David was right. Maybe she was a huge, complete fuck up with no prospects at success. Right now it certainly felt like that.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'll change when I get to Blackwell," she said, making an effort to look out the window— wanting to avoid the two.

"You sure? We're probably mostly the same size, it's no trouble. I have like, enough ratty ass clothes anyways," Chloe shrugged.

"I'm fine, really."

Chloe bit her lip, looking at Max, offering the brunette a small smile. Everything couldn't be fucked. It couldn't be. She had just gotten her best friend back.

"You, uh… this chlorine smell is awful," Max spoke up after a few moments.

"Yeah, don't worry. You're— you're Rachel's size."

The very thought of it felt weird. Max wearing Rachel's clothes? Rachel was her girlfriend, for fuck's sake! She was— still was— the most important person in her life. And now her best friend who she was thinking that she might be in love with was going to wear her girlfriend's clothes?

And she liked the idea of it?

"Thanks."

Chloe breathed in sharply, heading over to the closet and grabbing the first outfit she could find— one of Rachel's favorites. She turned around and simply tossed the clothes at Max, a sinking feeling in her stomach telling her this was a bad idea already.

Max got up and pulled off the shirt and shorts Chloe had given her not even eight hours ago. Victoria watched, biting her lip, bright red, while Chloe turned away.

She was dating someone, it wouldn't have been right.

All the more reason she hated Victoria.

Moments later and Max was dressed up in ratted out jeans and a faded band shirt, the logo barely visible at this point, with a red and black flannel.

"You know, years in Seattle and I've never worn anything like this, what do you think?" Max asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"You—" Chloe started softly, but quickly stopped before she said something she knew she would regret.

"You look amazing, Max. You're so beautiful," Victoria quickly chimed in, not looking at Chloe. She was dead focused on Max— this was not Chloe's place to speak. Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, looking away, glancing over only to notice Max's intense blush as Victoria walked over.

"You really think? I know it's not my usual style, but—"

"Hey, so… Joyce is probably downstairs. Breakfast?" Chloe asked. Granted, she knew what she was doing interrupting them, but deep down she didn't care that much.

"Definitely! All of that… yesterday. I think hunger and everything else has started catching up to me," Max sighed.

"Let's not stay too long, though? We have way too much to get done today," Victoria reminded them.

"Girl's gotta eat, Vic," Chloe said, pushing herself off the bed and finally changing, herself. A usual outfit for her: beanie, jacket, shirt, and jeans. Laziness kept her wearing the same underwear, though.

"We can stay for a bit. Joyce won't mind, right?" Max asked as the trio headed to the door, Chloe opening it and letting the couple through.

"As long as step-dick isn't downstairs, we're good. We eat and we're out."

"Sounds like a plan," Max said. Things would go well today. They had to.

Chloe led the way downstairs, all for Joyce to peak her head out of the kitchen, looking at the small parade.

"Oh— morning girls. Chloe, I didn't know you were having company. You should have said something, I would have had breakfast all ready for the three of you," Joyce said.

"Morning Max, and… Victoria, right? I know you've come in plenty of times with Nathan Prescott, but I've never caught your name."

"Victoria Chase, yes. It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Price," Victoria said with a small, shy wave, as Joyce laughed.

"Mrs. Price? No need to be so formal, dear. I can't think of the last person who's called me Mrs. Price. Even the police are on a first name basis with me," she laughed.

"Mom, do you have to?" Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes as she walked into the kitchen.

"Come on Chloe, they don't care about that, right girls?"

"That's part of the appeal," Max joked, elbowing Chloe lightly in the side.

"The Chloe Price we all know and _love_ ," Victoria said, eyes narrowed at her. Last night she had agreed to be kinder to her, to not start anything, but all bets were off. For whatever reason, Chloe was wanting to get too close to Max. It left the blonde an absolute wreck over her feelings. She normally remained distant for a reason, and the one time she let her guard down with someone…

"Anyways, you girls go sit down and I'll whip up a breakfast fit for a couple of queens," Joyce told them as she walked back to the counter.

The three walked to the kitchen, sitting down, looking between each other silently and awkwardly before Chloe finally spoke up, her voice not much higher than a whisper.

"I'm going to go to the, uh, bathroom. I'll be right back."

Max quirked an eyebrow, confused as to why that would be something to talk— let alone whisper— about.

But it all became clear when instead of heading upstairs, Chloe started to sneak into the garage.

"What's she doing?" Victoria asked quietly, Max leaned in next to her.

"That's where David's stuff is. She's probably going to try and… snoop."

At least now with Chloe gone, Victoria had a chance to speak with her girlfriend in private.

"Look, I know today is busy, but we really have to speak about what just happened," Victoria said, her voice wavering.

"We will, we will. Tonight. When we get back to Blackwell we'll—"

"No, not tonight. We can't push it back to tonight. We can't. We can't keep pushing things back. We need to have a real, serious talk as soon as—" Victoria started, before the footsteps of one Joyce Price, followed by a large plate of pancakes being set down.

"You two don't mind sharing, do you? I thought I would have enough for more but I guess not," she shrugged, smiling at the two girls.

"It's fine, Joyce," Max said, Victoria nodding along with her.

"Now, where did Chloe get off to? Don't tell me she left you two here while she went to go smoke," Joyce added with a sigh, leaving Max laughing right before taking her first bite.

"No, she's in the bathroom, she said, not skipping a beat.

"Well, she better hurry up. If she complains about not being able to eat because she takes her time, I swear…" Joyce mumbled under her breath, heading off to the living room as Victoria and Max kept eating.

After a few moments of silence, Victoria swallowed, looking over at Max.

"Once we're all ready to leave, we need to go back to Blackwell for a few hours. We need to talk. Chloe can handle things for a little while with finding what we need to look for. And then in the afternoon we get to work," Victoria suggested. It made sense. But the threat of time still left Max terrified.

"Ok… ok, yeah. We need to talk about this. As soon as Chloe is back we'll go. You know I lo—" Max started to say, her voice rushed and in a panic, only to be interrupted by Chloe's mom sitting across from the couple.

"You know Max, ever since I saw you yesterday, I've been wanting to look through this old thing so bad. So many memories in here," Joyce let out a wistful sigh as she placed a large, if dusty blue book on the table. She opened it to show pictures of the four of them: Joyce, Chloe, Max, and… William.

"That's from…" Max said, pointing to a picture of a young Chloe and Max, which Joyce picked it up.

"You two look so sweet there… it's hard to believe this was the day everything changed…" she sighed again, a somber smile on her face.

"Max, you look so adorable here, I can't even recognize you," Victoria giggled, while Joyce looked between the two.

"Oh my gosh, Max— are you two…?" Joyce asked, her eyes wide. The two girls looked between each other, a small smile on each of their faces.

"We, yeah. Last night we started dating," Max said, her smile keeping up.

"Well, congratulations. Look at that, you two are so grown up. I… can't say I ever expected either of you to end up with girlfriends, but— I don't mean that in a bad way, either, Max," Joyce said, quickly realizing exactly how she was sounding.

"Joyce, it's fine. And thank you, we're really happy," Max said, lacing her fingers in Victoria's before taking another bite.

"You know, Max… ever since you came back, this is the first time I think I've seen Chloe really happy since this picture," Joyce said before taking in a breath and handing the picture over to Max.

"You want me to have it? Are you sure?" Max asked, pulling her hand from Victoria's and holding onto it, staring at it briefly before looking up at Joyce.

"Take it, it'll be a nice memory after… everything," Joyce assured her as Max set the picture in her pocket as safely as she could. There was no way she was letting this get destroyed.

"You ate without me? Not cool, man," Chloe sighed as she walked behind the couple, leaning over to whisper into Max's ear.

"Got what we need, let's go."

"Hey, Joyce, I'm sorry, but we should probably get going. We have a… busy day ahead of us," Max gulped. She hated lying to Joyce— she had practically been the second mother to her for most of her life. But with David in the picture, there was no way they could possibly tell her about what was going on.

Especially not the tornado.

"Sorry mom, we'll be back later," Chloe said, heading to the door ahead of Max and Victoria.

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Price," Victoria said with a small wave as she followed Max.

"I told you, Victoria, Joyce is fine. And you all have a good day!" she shouted as the trio reached the door, only to be stopped by it opening.

"…Fuck," Chloe mumbled under her breath, as none other than David Madsen walked through the door. Chloe looked away, instinctively shoving her hands in her pockets, while Max quickly hid behind Chloe. Victoria, being left out to dry, simply shuffled next to Max.

"Caulfield and Chase… what are you both doing here?" he asked angrily, stomping towards the girls and glaring at Max. Max gulped nervously, while both Victoria and Chloe narrowed their eyes at him.

"They're allowed to be here, David. They were just sleeping over," Chloe sneered.

"Yeah, well, this one causes nothing but trouble at Blackwell. She shouldn't be let anywhere near here let alone that campus," he growled angrily, pointing at Max.

"She _saved_ Kate Marsh's life! No one else did anything but her! If anyone should be near Blackwell it's Max," Victoria said, folding her arms. Max turned bright red— but at least she was being defended right now. She needed it.

"David, Max is my best friend in the entire fucking world. She's able to come here if she wants. The only person who shouldn't be here or at Blackwell is you!" Chloe shouted, getting in his face again. At this point, the shouting and the door had gotten Joyce's attention, who looked around the corner to see what was happening and ran towards the entranceway.

"What the hell is going on here? David! Chloe!" she shouted.

"David's being an asshole to Max again! She saved Kate's life and he's talking about wanting her out of Blackwell and he doesn't even want her here!" Chloe shouted, pointing at David while looking at Joyce.

"Come on, calm down now, all of you. David, Max is basically a second daughter to this family. She is allowed in this house anytime she wants or needs to be here."

Max let out an internal sigh of relief, at least Joyce was on her side through all of this.

"You have done nothing but harass Max and me and Kate and everyone! You're fucking keeping tabs on everyone at Blackwell and even everyone here! You're spying on everyone as part of some… some sick power trip!" Chloe shouted.

"What? Is this— David, is this true?" Joyce asked, looking at her husband in disbelief.

"He has cameras all over the house!" Chloe shouted.

"He spent Monday and Tuesday harassing Kate Marsh— he harassed her for no reason! David has been nothing but a bully!" Max told Joyce. Victoria couldn't help but smile to herself— when Max was on fire she was really on fire. Her first impressions of Max were the exact opposite of the Max Caulfield she knew now.

It was incredible.

"Cameras? Harassing students? David, what are they saying?" Joyce asked, hands on her hips, face in David's now.

"Look, I'm doing this for everyone! Kate Marsh knows something and— and!"

"No. If you're going to be spying on innocent students— on your family, then maybe we need a little break," Joyce said.

"I see how it is. Fine, fine, you win," David said, shaking his head and letting out a sigh.

"David— David! This isn't about winning, damnit! This is about your family and the students you're supposed to take care of, not single out and target!" Joyce told him.

"Fine. I need some time anyways," he sighed under his breath, walking to the living room. Chloe's eyes were wide before she looked at Joyce, one of the biggest smiles on her face imaginable.

"Joyce, that was awesome!"

"Not now Chloe, please? Just… you all have your things to do today, so have a nice day and… let us just talk this out," Joyce sighed, walking over towards David. The three girls looked at each other before all settling on the door.

"We should… get the day started," Victoria mumbled quietly, Chloe and Max nodding in silent agreement.

The trio left the Price household and all started to get into Chloe's truck, to which she quickly pulled out of the driveway and peeled onto the street.

"I can't believe it! Finally that asshole gets what he deserves," Chloe laughed, huge grin on her face.

"I'm so glad Joyce actually believed us and not David," Max sighed, shaking her head.

"Honestly? She probably believed you and not me, Max. But she'll find those cameras soon and then that asshole will be out for good," Chloe said, gripping onto the wheel tighter.

"So— wait— you said you got what you needed. What did you find?" Max asked. Victoria was still sitting quietly, listening to the two of them. She was still an outsider, it was becoming more and more apparent.

"He has a bunch of files on everyone. Kate, Rachel— he thinks she and Frank were hooking up! He thought Kate was selling drugs! He's just an asshole out to get every good person in this town and defend all of the pieces of shit," Chloe said.

"Nathan, the Vortex Club, he just wants to make sure everyone who doesn't deserve to be safe is," she added, balling up her hand into a fist and smacking it against the door.

"So we're going to see Frank?" Max asked, looking at Chloe.

"Yeah… I know he and Rachel weren't together. I know it, but we need to check out his RV. He has some info in there about something. He has to," Chloe mumbled.

Rachel and her were girlfriends. Not her and Frank— Chloe and Rachel. That was it. That was the end of it.

"Hey, umm…" Victoria finally spoke up, softly. Max looked over.

"What's up Victoria?" Max asked.

"Can you drop me off at Blackwell? I just… I'm tired and I feel like I should get some rest," Victoria told them, turning away to look at the window. She knew there would be a look of hurt on her face and she didn't want Max to see, to know. That look of hurt was bound to turn to anger sooner than later, anyways.

"You sure?" Chloe asked, glancing over at the blonde. Even _she_ was a bit surprised by this.

"You're part of the team, Victoria. You're just as important as Chloe and me…" Max said. She gulped hard— she had a bad feeling about this.

"It's fine. I'll take a nap for a bit, shower, change, and then when you're both done with Frank you can get me and we'll rev up the investigation again," Victoria explained. Though honestly?

She just wanted to be away from Max and Chloe, at least for a while.

Even if the thought of Max and Chloe alone nearly tore her up inside.

"Well, if you're sure. Just let Max know when you're ready and we'll get you. It's probably gonna be a long night," Chloe said.

"Thanks."

The detour to Blackwell Academy slowed their investigation down a bit, but Chloe was glad. More time with just Max. The duo that had been ripped apart for five years and put back together only to have Victoria wedged between the two.

Though Max was far more reluctant about letting Victoria go back on her own, and had even contemplated telling Chloe she would go with her.

She knew that wouldn't work out well, though.

When Chloe stopped her truck in front of Blackwell, Victoria opened the door and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"I'll see you later?" Max asked quietly, her voice shaky, as Victoria turned to face her, offering a small smile.

"Yeah."

That was all she said before waving goodbye, getting out, and shutting the door. It wasn't long after until Chloe reached over Max, pulled the door shut, and then drove off.

"You sure we should leave her alone?" Max asked, looking back at Chloe.

"She'll be fine. Just let her shower, we'll get her soon. Don't worry," Chloe assured her, waving her hand dismissively.

"I'm worried about— what if Nathan does something to her? Or someone from the Vortex Club?"

"Seriously? She'll be fine Max. You're worrying too much. Plus she can always text you and we'll come back," Chloe said with a shrug.

"I hope so…" Max sighed.

Luckily at the speed Chloe drove and with the lack of care with her driving, they reached the downtown area of Arcadia Bay in no time, and only now was Chloe starting to slow down.

Mostly because she couldn't afford another ticket.

"Two Whales?" Max asked, looking over at her blue haired best friend.

"Two Whales. Wouldn't be surprised if he was there. That or in the parking lot," Chloe said. She knew Frank well enough— where he went, what he did. They were going to get into his RV, they had to.

And luckily enough, there was his RV in the parking lot as Chloe rounded the corner and went to park next to it. The two girls got out, and while Chloe walked over to Frank's RV, Max pulled out her phone.

 _"Hey, we're by Frank, I'll let you know what we find."_

Max started to walk over to Chloe, her eyes focused on her phone, waiting impatiently for a response.

"So, the door is locked… and Frank's mutt is in there, too," Chloe sighed, pounding the door with her fist angrily, as more barking came from inside Frank's RV.

"I haven't heard back from Victoria yet…" Max said with a sigh.

"Hey, Max? We need to focus. We need to get in there and get information about Frank, and his dealing, and… and everything," Chloe said.

"Ok, ok. What do we need to do, then?" Max asked.

"So, what we're going to do is have you get the key, because you have the magic time powers, while I look for something to distract Pompidou with," Chloe said.

"Got it, sounds good. Wait… Pompidou?"

"The dog, Max. That's the name of Frank's dog."

"Right, right. Ok, I'll… get his keys somehow, and we'll snoop," Max said with a nod to herself as she started to walk to the entrance of the diner, now feeling her phone buzz in her pocket. Max pulled it out, praying it was something from Victoria.

 _"ok"_

That was it!? That was all she had to say?

Max couldn't help but feel sad and defeated… and she knew exactly what was the cause of this all.

The kiss from this morning. That was it. Victoria hadn't been happy one bit since it had happened.

And it was all Max's fault. She didn't… she didn't rewind. She could have. She could have left it all with just herself having that knowledge, but she didn't.

 _ **Why**_ didn't she do that!? It was too late now, and now everything was ruined.

 _"We'll be back soon, ok? I love you"_

Max bit her lip— everything had to be ok. It had to be.

 _"ok, love you too"_

Max let out a small sigh of relief. Maybe everything would be ok after all? She had to hold out hope. Her and Victoria _**would**_ get through this and be a good— no— a great couple.

But even with that in mind, Max still couldn't get her mind off Chloe…

She took a deep breath, then let out a sigh as she walked into the Two Whales. She needed to get those keys from Frank. Whatever was in his RV they needed to figure everything out, and quick. Friday was too close.

The bell rang as she stepped inside, and Max looked around, trying to find Frank. It was easy to find him, sitting at a booth in the corner, eating in silence. As Max started to walk towards him, she heard a voice from the other end.

"Rachel? Rachel!"

Nathan…?


End file.
